Maestro Valéry Ryvkin recently returned from Germany, where he made his triumphant European conducting debut leading Tchaikovsky’s Maid of Orleans at Theater Erfurt in Thuringia.  Maestro Ryvkin is currently Artistic Director of the Greensboro Opera.  A frequent guest at many of the country’s leading opera houses, Maestro Ryvkin has conducted at the San Diego Opera, San Francisco Opera, Chicago Lyric Opera, Austin Lyric Opera, Fresno Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, and many others.  In September 2009, Maestro Ryvkin conducted Opera Santa Barbara's world premiere of Stephen Schwartz’s first opera, Séance on a Wet Afternoon.   In the spring of 2010, Maestro Rvykin returned to Europe for performances and masterclasses as Music Director of the Sisak International Music Festival in Croatia.

In April 2010, Jose Maria Condemi was appointed Artistic Director for Opera Santa Barbara. Mr. Condemi's directorial work, which has been presented by companies in North America and abroad, encompasses a wide range of styles and repertoire and has been consistently praised for its theatrical, creative and innovative approach. For the San Francisco Opera, he has directed Tosca, Così fan tutte and Faust. Other notable engagements include a new production of Ernani, Tristan und Isolde and Il Barbiere di Siviglia (student matinee) for Lyric Opera Chicago, Luisa Miller for the Canadian Opera Company, La Bohème and Il Trovatore for Seattle Opera, Ainadamar and Don Giovanni for Cincinnati, Maria Padilla for Minnesota Opera, Il Trovatore for Austin Lyric Opera, Die Zauberflöte, L'elisir d'amore,  Don Pasquale and La Rondine with Opera San Jose, Barbiere di Siviglia for Lake George Opera, Susannah and Roméo et Juliette with Festival Opera, and Don Giovanni and Poulenc's Les Mamelles de Tirésias for the University of Cincinnati, a production which earned him the first prize in the 2000 USA National Opera Association competition. As Associate Director, he has worked on Faust and Così Fan Tutte for Lyric Opera Chicago, Ballo in Maschera for the Canadian Opera Company and Falstaff for Houston Grand Opera. His collaboration with contemporary opera composers include directing the world premieres of Hector Armienta's River of Women and The Weeping Woman and the workshop performance of the San Francisco Opera commissioned piece Earthrise by 2000 Pulitzer Prize Lewis Spratlan. Upcoming directing engagements include Madame Butterfly for the San Francisco Opera, Così fan tutte for Atlanta Opera and return engagements with the Seattle and Cincinnati Operas in upcoming seasons.

Lyric Soprano Rebecca Davis is fast becoming known for her brilliant and warm vocal timbre, as well as dynamic vocal versatility, and remarkable vocal extension. Rebecca made her Chicago Symphony Orchestra debut last April singing Salaambo's aria from the movie score of Citizin Kane. In 2006 Rebecca debuted at Carnegie Hall singing Schubert's Mass in G, Imant Raminsh's Missa Brevis, and Mozart's Laudate Dominum. Ms. Davis has been ravely reviewed not only for her singing, but also her acting and stage deportment, "a visceral actress with insight and presence". In her blossoming career, Rebecca has appeared in the roles of many heroines including Violetta, Fiordiligi, Leonora, Poppea, Abigail Williams, Cio-Cio San, Mimi, Musetta, Micaëla, Tosca and Magda in La Rondine. Ms. Davis has appeared with such companies as Chicago Opera Theater, the Sarasota Opera, the Kentucky Opera, Opera North, Opera San Jose, Music by the Lake, and Opera Theatre North. Rebecca has earned numerous singing awards, including the Grand Prize of the Chicago Bel Canto, and finalist of the Tri-State Region in the Metropolitan Opera National Council's Competition. Her 2008-2009 season included Tatyana in Eugene Onegin, Adina in L'elisir d'amore, Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte, and Micaëla in Carmen with Opera San Jose. In 2010, Rebecca returned to Opera San Jose to sing the Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro and Magda in La Rondine.

Ryan MacPherson is one of the most in-demand young tenors of this generation.  With a vast and growing repertoire, he is well-known for his captivating stage presence and his expertise with modern and contemporary music.  In the summer of 2008 he made his debut with Glimmerglass Opera in Wagner's Das Liebesverbot. He returned in 2009 as Alfredo in La Traviata.  Earlier this year, he sang Peter Quint in The Turn of the Screw at Portland Opera where he will return this season to perform the roles of Heurtebise in Philip Glass's Orphée and Ferrando in Così fan tutte. Other engagements include Rodolfo in La Bohème with Lyric Opera Productions in Dublin, Tamino in The Magic Flute with Florentine Opera and the title role in Candide with Toledo Opera. Last season Mr. MacPherson returned to New York City Opera as Anatol in Vanessa and Don José in Carmen. He also made his company debut at the Opéra national de Paris (Bastille) as the Vision of a Young Man in Die Frau ohne Schatten, his role debut as Ruggero in La Rondine with Sarasota Opera, performances of Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni with Utah Opera and George Hancock in Margaret Garner with Michigan Opera Theatre.  Mr. MacPherson ended the year 2008 with the New York Philharmonic where he was featured in performances of Elektra under the baton of Maestro Maazel. Other companies Mr. MacPherson has performed with include the American Symphony Orchestra, Opera Memphis, Nashville Opera, Lyric Opera Kansas City, Shreveport Opera, Central City Opera, Long Beach Opera, Opera Tampa, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Opera Omaha and the Merola Program of the San Francisco Opera.

Baritone Malcolm MacKenzie returns to Opera Santa Barbara after his 2007 company debut as Renato in Ballo in Maschera and his 2008 performances as Alfio and Tonio in Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci. His voice has been described as having a “rich vocal range full of inviting nuance.”  He has been heard at leading opera houses throughout the U.S. and Europe, appearing at the Metropolitan Opera,  the Bastille in Paris, Finland’s Savonlina Festival, The Washington Opera, Sacramento Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Dayton Opera, Madison Opera, Austin Lyric, Opera Pacific, Opera Santa Barbara,  and Pittsburgh Opera, in roles including Iago, Tonio, Don Giovanni, Marcello, Germont, Valentin, Count Almaviva, and Rossini’s Figaro.  A favorite at the Los Angeles Opera, he has performed over 20 roles with that company, appearing in  2006 as Sharpless in Madama Butterfly and as a special guest in the  Plácido Domingo and Friends 20th Anniversary Gala. He made his New York City Opera debut as Escamillo, a performance he recently repeated for San Diego Opera. In 2008, Mr. MacKenzie’s joined the roster of the Metropolitan Opera for the first time. Other appearances that season included Count Almaviva for Sacramento Opera's Le Nozze di Figaro,  Sharpless in Madama Butterfly for San Diego Opera and Germont in La Traviata for Glimmerglass Opera. Recent performances also include Iago in Otello for Sacramento Opera, Zurga in Bizet's The Pearl Fishers for San Diego Opera and  the baritone soloist for Horatio Parker's  rarely performed  Hora Novissima  with the Pacific Master Chorale. Mr. MacKenzie is a former finalist in the Plácido Domingo Operalia World Opera Competition and a National Finalist of the Metropolitan Opera Competition.

In her Paris salon, the courtesan Violetta Valéry greets party guests, including Flora Bervoix, the Marquis d'Obigny, Baron Douphol, and Gastone, who introduces a new admirer, Alfredo Germont. This young man, having adored Violetta from afar, joins her in a drinking song (Brindisi: "Libiamo"). An orchestra is heard in the next room, but as guests move there to dance, Violetta suffers a fainting spell, sends the guests on ahead, and goes to her parlor to recover. Alfredo comes in, and since they are alone, confesses his love ("Un dì felice"). At first Violetta protests that love means nothing to her. Something about the young man's sincerity touches her, however, and she promises to meet him the next day. After the guests have gone, Violetta wonders if Alfredo could actually be the man she could love ("Ah, fors'è lui"). But she decides she wants freedom ("Sempre libera"), though Alfredo's voice, heard outside, argues in favor of romance.

Some months later Alfredo and Violetta are living in a country house near Paris, where he praises their contentment ("De' miei bollenti spiriti"). But when the maid, Annina, reveals that Violetta has pawned her jewels to keep the house, Alfredo leaves for the city to settle matters at his own cost. Violetta comes looking for him and finds an invitation from Flora to a party that night. Violetta has no intention of going back to her old life, but trouble intrudes with the appearance of Alfredo's father. Though impressed by Violetta's ladylike manners, he demands she renounce his son: the scandal of Alfredo's affair with her has threatened his daughter's engagement ("Pura siccome un angelo"). Violetta says she cannot, but Germont eventually convinces her ("Dite alla giovine"). Alone, the desolate woman sends a message of acceptance to Flora and begins a farewell note to Alfredo. He enters suddenly, surprising her, and she can barely control herself as she reminds him of how deeply she loves him ("Amami, Alfredo") before rushing out. Now a servant hands Alfredo her farewell note as Germont returns to console his son with reminders of family life in Provence ("Di Provenza"). But Alfredo, seeing Flora's invitation, suspects Violetta has thrown him over for another lover. Furious, he determines to confront her at the party.

At her soirée that evening, Flora learns from the Marquis that Violetta and Alfredo have parted, then clears the floor for hired entertainers - a band of fortune-telling Gypsies and some matadors who sing of Piquillo and his coy sweetheart ("E Piquillo un bel gagliardo"). Soon Alfredo strides in, making bitter comments about love and gambling recklessly at cards. Violetta has arrived with Baron Douphol, who challenges Alfredo to a game and loses a small fortune to him. Everyone goes in to supper, but Violetta has asked Alfredo to see her. Fearful of the Baron's anger, she wants Alfredo to leave, but he misunderstands her apprehension and demands that she admit she loves Douphol. Crushed, she pretends she does. Now Alfredo calls in the others, denounces his former love and hurls his winnings at her feet ("Questa donna conoscete?"). Germont enters in time to see this and denounces his son's behavior. The guests rebuke Alfredo and Douphol challenges him to a duel.

In Violetta's bedroom six months later, Dr. Grenvil tells Annina her mistress has not long to live: tuberculosis has claimed her. Alone, Violetta rereads a letter from Germont saying the Baron was only wounded in his duel with Alfredo, who knows all and is on his way to beg her pardon. But Violetta senses it is too late ("Addio del passato"). Paris is celebrating Mardi Gras and, after revelers pass outside, Annina rushes in to announce Alfredo. The lovers ecstatically plan to leave Paris forever ("Parigi, o cara"). Germont enters with the doctor before Violetta is seized with a last resurgence of strength. Feeling life return, she staggers and falls dead at her lover's feet.

Courtesy of The Metropolitan Opera