Puccini: La bohème (concert version)

Synopsis

ACT I
Paris, Christmas Eve.

In their freezing garret apartment, Marcello, an artist and Rodolfo, a poet, try to keep warm by burning the pages of Rodolfo’s latest play. Their roommates—Colline, a philosopher, and Schaunard, a musician—arrive with food, wood and money. Their celebrations of an unexpected feast are interrupted when the landlord comes in search of the rent money. To distract him they get him drunk and encourage him to recount his romantic escapades, then throw him out in feigned disgust, keeping their money for the time being. Deciding this calls for a celebration, the gang make their way to Café Momus. Rodolfo remains behind in order to finish an article, promising to join them once he’s finished. Mimì, a neighbor, enters in search of a light for her candle. Rodolfo asks her in, but she falls faint. He offers her some wine and asks her to stay, but she demurs. Mimì realizes that she has lost her key, and as the two search for it, Rodolfo finds the key but slips it into his pocket. He decides to get to know Mimi better, telling her about his life as a writer and his hopes for the future. She describes her life alone in her drafty attic, embroidering flowers and waiting for the spring. Their connection is instant but before things can go further they are interrupted by Rodolfo’s friends calling from outside. He responds that he is not alone and will see them at the café shortly. Mimì and Rodolfo sing of their love and leave arm in arm.

ACT II
That same evening.

Rodolfo and Mimi arrive at the café, where Mimi is introduced to everyone. They all sit down to eat when Marcello’s former sweetheart, Musetta, makes an over the top entrance, accompanied by a wealthy gentleman, Alcindoro. Immediately jealous, Marcello does his best to ignore her, but she is insistent on getting his attention, and soon old feelings begin to bubble to the surface again. Faking a foot injury, Musetta sends Alcindoro away to buy her a new pair of shoes; seizing the opportunity, Musetta rushes into Marcello’s arms again. The group then make a swift getaway landing Alcindoro with their check.

Intermission

ACT III
Winter, one year later.

Mimì arrives at a café on the outskirts of Paris looking for Marcello. She tells him that Rodolfo’s jealous outbursts are becoming too much for her, and that he keeps telling her to find another lover. She confesses that she thinks it would be better if she ended the relationship. Rodolfo, who has been sleeping inside, starts to come out of the café as Mimi hides nearby. Rodolfo explains to Marcello that he wants to separate from Mimì, claiming she is always flirting with other men. Marcello doesn’t believe him and urges him to tell him the truth. Rodolfo finally admits that he’s lying. He tells Marcello that Mimì’s illness has gotten worse, and he fears that their poverty is going to hasten her death. Overhearing how much Rodolfo cares for her, Mimì reveals herself. Hearing Musetta’s laughter, Marcello uses it as an excuse to leave. Mimì and Rodolfo begin to reconcile their misunderstanding while Marcello returns with Musetta, arguing with her about her flirting with another man. As they fight about each other's shortcomings, Mimi and Rodolfo decide that they will stay together until the spring.

ACT IV
The following September.

In their apartment, Rodolfo and Marcello, now both single, are in a slump. Colline and Schaunard arrive and attempt to lighten the mood with a dance, which descends into an eccentric mock duel. Musetta arrives in a panic. Mimì, now extremely ill, cannot make it up the stairs. Rodolfo immediately runs to get her as Musetta tells the others that Mimì is close to death but wishes to be with Rodolfo once more. Rodolfo enters with a frail Mimì, and the group attempts to help her. Realizing Mimì needs medical attention, Musetta gives Marcello her earrings to pawn, and Colline decides to sell his winter coat so they can buy her some medicine. Mimì and Rodolfo are left alone and reminisce about how they met. Mimì can only manage a few sentences before she is seized by violent coughs. The others return with medicine and a muff to warm Mimì’s hands. Rodolfo tells Mimì not to talk anymore and rest. Musetta begins to pray for Mimì, as she drifts off to sleep. All except Rodolfo realize that Mimì has died. Noticing their faces Rodolfo rushes over to Mimì and collapses, crying out her name.
- Steven Goldstein
 

Biographies

ARTISTIC TEAM

ROBERT TWETEN – Musical Director and Conductor
Robert Tweten has performed extensively as both a pianist and conductor through-out the USA and his native Canada, and currently holds the positions of Head of Music Staff for The Santa Fe Opera, and Music Director of Graduate Opera Studies for New England Conservatory. In 2017, Tweten joined the New England Conservatory’s opera faculty, where he provides musical guidance for the Graduate Opera Studies Program. During his tenure Robert has conducted eleven productions of repertoire spanning over three hundred and fifty years. The position, Head of Music Staff, was created by The Santa Fe Opera for Robert in 2000. He has been on the podium for a number of productions during his tenure at Santa Fe, most recently conducting performances of Falstaff during the 2022 season. Tweten has enjoyed a long relationship with Utah Opera/Symphony where he has conducted eighteen productions since his debut in 2005, and other companies he has collabo-rated with include the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Calgary Opera, Vancouver Opera, Florentine Opera, Opera San Antonio, Kentucky Opera, Edmonton Opera, Dayton Opera, Austin Lyric Opera, Tulsa Opera and Sarasota Opera.       Equally at home as a pianist, Robert has performed throughout the world with many of the industry’s most prominent singers and presently is Music Director for the Sag Harbor Song Festival, and Performance Santa Fe’s Festival of Song. Tweten’s most recent projects have included orchestral concerts with the Santa Fe Pro Musica Orchestra, as well as leading The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs and La Bohème for Utah Opera, and the North American premiere of Roberto Scarcella Perino’s Furiosus at Merkin Hall in New York.

STEVEN GOLDSTEIN – Stage Director
Steven Goldstein has been a member of the NEC Opera Department faculty since 2013 and is a founding member of the Atlantic Theater Company in New York. His directing credits at NEC include Don Pasquale, Die Zauberflöte, La Finta Giardiniera, Dialogues of the Carmelites, L’incoronazione di Poppea, and Der Kaiser von Atlantis, as well as Serse, Dido and Aeneas and Albert Herring with the Undergraduate Opera Studio. His other directing credits include: Street Scene, Spring Awakening, A Little Night Music, La Tragedié de Carmen, and La Traviata. Performance highlights include Our Town on Broadway; the premiers of Boy’s Life, Oh Hell, The Lights (Lincoln Center Theatre); Romance, The Vosey Inheritance, The Water Engine, Shaker Heights (Atlantic Theater Company); Intimate Apparel (Center Stage Baltimore); Big Fish (SpeakEasy Theatre Co.); and I Was Most Alive with You (Huntington Theater). Film: The Untouchables, Signs and Wonders, The Spanish Prisoner, The Night We Never Met, Homicide, House of Games and Things Change. He has performed many roles with the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, Seattle Opera, LA Opera, Vancouver Opera, Cleveland Opera, Israeli Opera, Chicago Opera Theater, Gotham Chamber Opera, and Boston’s own Odyssey Opera, including last spring’s Awakenings.

JOEL AYAU – Musical Preparation
Senior Vocal Coach Joel Ayau is a graduate of the Cafritz Young Artist Program of Washington National Opera, and has also worked on the music staffs of North Carolina Opera, Portland Opera, Opera Omaha, Wolf Trap Opera, and Aspen Opera Theatre and VocalARTS. During his three seasons on the music staff of the Castleton Festival, he also prepared the chorus for Roméo et Juliette under Rafael Payarre, and Lorin Maazel's productions of Don Giovanni and Madama Butterfly. Ayau’s concert appearances include recitals at Stern Auditorium in Carnegie Hall, the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, and National Concert Hall in Taipei, accompanying partners including Renée Fleming, David Portillo, Kathryn Lewek, and Zach Borichevsky.

SUJIN CHOI – Musical Preparation
A collaborative pianist, Sujin Choi served as a pianist and a coach in Puccini’s La Bohème, Martín y Soler’s L’arbore di Diana, Jack Perla’s An American Dream, and Cavalli’s La Calisto with New England Conservatory. She has also had the privilege of serving as an opera coach fellow, contributing to productions such as Mozart’s Don Giovanni at Aspen Music Festival and Puccini’s La Bohème at Music Academy of the West. She has joined the staff as a pianist at Boston Conservatory starting in September 2023. Sujin earned a Graduate Diploma in Collaborative Piano from the New England Conservatory under the tutelage of Cameron Stowe and Jonathan Feldman, with full scholarships supporting her studies. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Piano Performance and a master’s degree in Collaborative Piano from Yonsei University.

ABOUT THE CAST (in alphabetical order)

CARLOS ARCOS – Benoit, Alcindoro
Baritone Carlos Arcos moved from his native Ecuador to Queens, New York in 2012. He completed a bachelor's degree at Aaron Copland School of Music in Queens College and a master's degree at New England Conservatory of Music. He is currently pursuing a graduate diploma in vocal performance at NEC in the studio of Michael Meraw. Previous programs include Prague Summer Nights, Chautauqua Institution Voice Program, SongFest, and Classic Lyric Arts Italy.

MINSUN IM – Rodolfo
Tenor MinSun Im graduated with his master’s degree from Mannes School of Music and is currently a Graduate Diploma student at NEC studying with Carole Haber. At NEC he was recently seen as Endimione in Soler’s L’arbore di Diana, and the Armored Man in The Magic Flute. Amongst his many performances he has also performed in Sondheim’s Company, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and Mozart’s Coronation Mass. MinSun is an educator as well as a performer and earned a bachelor’s degree in contemporary music and master’s degrees in classical and musical theater and credits master teacher ChunHee Han with guiding him into professional musicianship.

JOSIE LARSEN – Mimi
Josie Larsen, a current Artist Diploma student of Bradley Williams, is a lyric soprano from Sammamish, Washington. She completed her Master of Music degree at the New England Conservatory and her bachelor’s degree at Brigham Young University, both in Vocal Performance. Her solo concert works this year have included Mozart’s Mass in C Minor and Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 by Villa-Lobos.
Recently, Josie took the NEC stage as the Governess in The Turn of the Screw.  Following La Bohème, she will jump straight into the role of Rosalinda in Die Fledermaus with Maestro, Robert Tweten. Additionally, she will be covering the role of Countess from Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro at the Aspen Music Festival this summer. Josie’s greatest joy from performing comes from the opportunity it provides to connect with others from all around the world in any language.

HYUNGJIN SON – Marcello 
Baritone Hyungjin Son, a native of South Korea, is an active opera, oratorio, and concert singer. Mr. Son has performed as Uncle Bonze (Madama Butterfly); Don Giovanni (Don Giovanni); Doristo (L’arbore di Diana);  Don Alfonso (Così fan tutte); Mr. Putnam (If I were you); “Pa” Zegner (Proving up); and Sir Thomas (Mansfield Park). He also  performed as a soloist for Mozart Great Mass in C Minor with NEC Philharmonia at Jordan Hall and for Brahms Ein deutsches Requiem with the BU Symphony Orchestra at Boston’s Symphony Hall. As a studio artist at Aspen Music Festival, he covered the role of Ford in Falstaff with international bass-baritone Bryn Terfel in the title role and covered the title role in Don Giovanni as well. He was named the national semi-finalist of Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition in 2023, and he was also named a district winner in 2022 and an encouragement winner in 2020 in the Boston district of Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. He is pursuing master’s degree at New England Conservatory under the tutelage of Bradley Williams. He holds a graduate certificate from Opera Institute of Boston University and a bachelor of music degree in vocal performance from Seoul National University. Recently, Mr. Son made his debut as Uncle Bonze in Madama Butterfly with Detroit Opera and Boston Lyric Opera.

ZIZHAO WANG – Colline
Chinese bass-baritone Zizhao Wang completed his opera training at the New England Conservatory. In 2019, he was awarded second place in the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition New England Regional Finals. He was a Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Singer in 2020 and will be joining the Glimmerglass Festival as Young Artist in 2024. He premiered the prize winning opera Country & Home in the role of Yang Yaozu with an all-star cast at the 2021 Chinese National Opera Festival. He made his debut with the Knoxville Opera in Le nozze di Figaro as Bartolo in the 2022-2023 season finale. In the 2023-2024 season, he made his debut with Opera Southwest in Rossini’s L’occasiona fa il ladro as Martino and joined the Virginia Opera in Madama Butterfly as Imperial Commissioner. His other notable roles including, Alidoro in La Cenerentola, Sarastro in The Magic Flute, Simone in Gianni Schicchi, Bass in Postcard from Morocco, Bonze in Madama Butterfly, Elviro in Serse, La Voce in Idomeneo, and King Balthazar in Amahl and the Night Visitors.  Zizhao returns to NEC tonight as a guest artist to join sing the role of Colline in La Bohème.

HENGZUO YAN – Schaunard
Hengzuo Yan is a young operatic baritone hailing from Shanghai, China. He graduated in 2023 with a bachelor's degree from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and is currently pursuing a Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance at the New England Conservatory, studying under Professor Jane Eaglen. During his undergraduate years, Yan showcased his talent by portraying the Count in Mozart's opera Le nozze di Figaro at the 2019 Salzburg Music Festival in Austria. In 2022, he performed at the Art Song Night Concert hosted by the Shanghai Opera House. In his graduate studies in 2023, Yan took on the role of Giove in the opera La Calisto. With a deep passion for both opera and art songs, Hengzuo stands as a highly promising young musician, brimming with potential.

SHIYU ZHUO – Musetta
Chinese soprano Shiyu Zhuo has dedicated several years to the refinement of her  vocal artistry. She is currently pursuing her master’s degree under the soprano Carole Haber at New England Conservatory. During the 2022-2023 season, Ms. Shiyu made a remarkable debut at The Wiener Musikverein in the role of Gretel in Hänsel und Gretel. Her 2023-2024 season at NEC includes the role of Calisto in La Calisto, under the direction of Robert Tweten; a soloist in Mozart’s Great Mass in C minor, directed by David Loebel; and one of the performers in NEC’s Liederabend series.  Tonight she makes her house debut at Jordan Hall as Musetta in La Bohème

NEC Philharmonia

Violin 1                
Qiyan Xing, Anatol Toth, Yilei Yin, Emily Lin, Anna Lee, Arun Asthagiri, Olga Kaminsky, Thompson Wang, Jusun Kim, Hyun Ji Lee

Violin 2                
Min-Han Hanks Tsai, Angela Sin Ying Chan, Peixuan Wu, Sarah Campbell, Jisoo Kim, Sarah McGuire, Hannah Goldstick, Tessie Katz, Jiaxin Lin

Viola                     
Aidan Garrison, Yi-Chia Chen, Ru-Yao Van der Ploeg, Chi-Jui Chen, Peter Jablokow, Katie Purcell, Po-Sung Huang, Corley Friesen-Johnson  

Cello       
Davis You, Pi-Wei Lin, Michelle Jung, Noah Lee, Asher Kalfus, GaYeon Jenny Kim

Bass        
Yu-Cih Chang, Shion Kim, Yihan Wu, Alyssa Burkhalter

Flute      
Chia-Fan Chang, Yechan Min

Piccolo    
Honor Hickman

Oboe       
Kelley Osterberg, Corinne Foley

English horn          
Robert Diaz

Clarinet  
Cole Turkel, Aleksis Lanz

Bass Clarinet         
Maxwell Reed

Bassoon  
Abigail Heyrich, Carson Meritt

French horn           
Graham Lovely, Rachel Brake, Connor Strauss, Willow Otten

Trumpet 
Ko Te Chen, Eddy Lanois, Matthew Dao

Trombone               
Noah Nichilo, Ethan Lehman, Jaehan Kim

Bass Trombone      
David Paligora

Timpani  
Mark Larrivee

Percussion             
Jordan Fajardo-Bird, Liam McManus, Danial Kukuk

Harp       
Shaylen Joos