the 2009-2010 season - The Wagner Society of Washington DC

Chairman’s Greeting:
Last season was our most exciting so far, highlighted by an ESP Concert with the Roanoke Symphony, the all day screening of the
Valencia Ring Marathon, another “sold out” Wildnis weekend, and lectures by Maestro Leon Botstein and other outstanding experts.
We will accomplish even more in the 2010/2011 season! In September, we will present an afternoon Seminar, dinner, and Jeffrey Swann
Piano Concert at the German Embassy on the subject of “Goethe, Wagner, and the Evolution of Kultur.” In May 2011 our ESP singers
will take it to the Kennedy Center, in a concert with the Washington Chorus! It’s going to be a season to remember!
We thank our Members who make this all possible. We are opening our 2011 membership drive NOW, and hope that you will not only
join, or re-join, but consider moving your membership to a higher level. You make our outstanding programs possible, “for the study
and enjoyment of Wagner’s art!”
J.K. Holman, Chairman
Wagner the Mystic published by
�e Wagner Society of
Washington DC
Leon Botstein,
President of Bard
College and
co-founder of the
Bard Music
Festival spoke on
"Wagner in the
21st Century."
Wagner the Mystic
by John J. Pohanka
" A book that sees Wagner in a new
light -- as a mystic in the classic
mold, as an artist who consciously
strove to take the listener to a world
where time and space are one."
Father Owen Lee
John Pohanka is a founding
member of the WSWDC Board
of Directors. He is a prominent
philanthropist and former Chairman
of the Washington National Opera
(WNO). An invaluable insight into
the question: Why does Wagner’s
music affect us like no other?”
CONTENTS
�e 2009-2010 Program Season.................... ....................2
Wagner in der Wildnis ................... ....................................3
�e Emerging Singers................... ..................................3-4
Program Events................... ..............................................5
Our Premium Members..................................... ...............6
Membership Application................................... .............6-7
Upcoming Events............................................... ...............8
August, 2010 Vol. 12 No. 1 & 2
Saul Lilienstein
spoke on “Wagner’s
Music and the
Jews.” (March 4)
(Available on DVD.
see website:
www.wagner-dc.
org.)
Valencia, 2009
! "#$%&'%()'*+!,-"&.*-%++!/*$$+++
WAGNER'S IMMORTAL RING — IN ONE DAY!
16 uninterrupted hours of Der Ring des Nibelungen, the supreme achievement in Western Art!
When: April 3, 2010, 8am to Midnight.
Where: Funger Hall, GWU, 2201 G Street, NW
�is DVD showing is presented by the Wagner Society of Washington DC, is free (no tickets required), and open to the public.
!"#$%#&'()*+),'-./.0)0$()12.//'&3#)!-42/567)8.0$0)0$()9.3):#/30$7)
0$()54')8,),#33.%%.#$)#$)54');&5%)0$():230$.5.'%
Jennifer Wilson (ESP 2001 and 2004) sang Brünnhilde in the Valencia
Ring, which was screened by WSWDC in an 16 hour marathon on
April 3 to some 300 viewers.
Don't miss!
Friday, September 24
at the German Embassy
"Goethe, Wagner and the Evolution of Kultur"
(see page 8, below)

Page 2
THE 2009-2010 SEASON by Bonnie Becker
Jeffrey Swann,
internationally acclaimed
pianist and distinguished
lecturer illustrated “Wagner’s
Influence on Proust.” Austrian
Embassy. (September 25)
Dan Sherman, a long-time
WSWDC Member with an
encyclopedic knowledge and collection of historic recordings
lectured on “Wagner Recordings You (Probably) Don’t Know.”
GWU Funger Hall. (October 15)
19th Emerging Singers Concert in collaboration with Opera
Roanoke under the direction of Maestro Stephen White at
Roanoke VA. (October 17) (See report and photo page 4)
Klaus Schultz, a dramaturge and intendant at several German opera
houses and a former member of Wolfgang Wagner’s artistic and
management team for the Bayreuth Festival spoke on his personal
“View from Bayreuth.” Funger Hall GWU. (November 14)
Professor Donald Crosby
and Klaus Schultz
(see November and
January programs).
Jeffrey Swann’s concert
opened the 2009-2010
program season.
Gotterdammerung Cast Dinner Party after a WNO performance
was attended by conductor Philippe Auguin and singers including
Jon
Frederic West (Siegfried), Irene �eorin (Brünnhilde), Gidon
Saks (Hagen), Elizabeth Bishop (Waltraute) along with Christina
Scheppelmann, WNO Director of Artistic Operations. �e 600
Restaurant, Washington DC. (November 15)
20 th Emerging Singers Concert at the Arts Club, Washington
DC. (November 19) (See photo and additional reporting page 4)
Professor James West, Middlebury College, spoke on “Wagner,
Nietzsche, and Nineteenth Century �ought.” GWU Funger Hall.
(December 10)
Ryan Brown, founder, conductor and artistic director of Opera
Lafayette, and a leader in the revival of Baroque opera, spoke on
“Wagner and Gluck’s Armide.” GWU Funger Hall. (January 14)
Professor Donald Crosby, frequent WSWDC lecturer participated
in a panel on “�e Icelandic Edda: Wagner, Tolkien, and Beyond”
at the Library of Congress “Myth and the Mind” series. Library of
Congress. (January 28)
Maestro Saul Lilienstein, a frequent lecturer at WSWDC, the
Smithsonian Institution and WNO spoke on “Wagner’s Music and
the Jews.” GWU Funger Hall. (March 4) (Note: A DVD of this
lecture can be ordered on www. wagner-dc.org.)
Desirée Mays, resident lecturer for Santa Fe Opera, spoke on
“Heroes of the Ring.” GWU Funger Hall. (March 18)
21st Emerging Singers Concert was presented at the German
Embassy. (April 8) (See report and photo page 4)
Peter Pachl, founder of the International Siegfried Wagner Society
and author of a biography of Siegfried spoke on “Siegfried Wagner
– A Very Original Composer.” GWU Funger Hall. (April 15)
�e Valencia Ring Marathon. An uninterrupted, all-day, DVD
screening from 8 am to midnight of the entire Valencia Ring --
free to the public --was attended by 300 viewers, including 50 who
made it from start to finish! �e production features ESP soprano
Jennifer Wilson as Brünnhilde. GWU Funger Hall. (April 3)
John Pohanka, is a Founding Member of the WSWDC Board of
Directors, a former WNO Chairman and the author of Wagner the
Mystic, published by WSWDC. A book signing was co-hosted by
Guillermo and Cecilia Schultz, and John’s son Geoffrey Pohanka,
and his daughter in law Anne Klein. Proceeds from the sales of the
book go the ESP. �e book launch was held at the Waterview in
Arlington VA. (May 20) (See reports and photos page 1 and 5)
Leon Botstein, President of Bard College, founder of the Bard
Music Festival and music director and principal conductor of the
American Symphony Orchestra and the Jerusalem Symphony
Orchestra spoke on “Wagner in the 21st Century.” GWU Funger
Hall. (June 8) (Note: A transcript is available on our website: www.
wagner-dc.org)

WAGNER in der WILDNIS (Der fliegende Holländer) (June 4-6)
�e 10th annual Wagner in der Wildnis (June 4-6) marked a
milestone in the history of this program. �e main focus was
on Der fliegende Holländer but presentations also included
references to Die Feen, Das Liebesverbot and Rienzi and even to
Wagner’s early tragedy (at age 15!) Leubald und Adelaide. Other
key topics and questions included: (A) Wagner’s Operatic
Beginnings; (B) Is the Eventual Wagner to be Found in the
Early Operas?; (C) What Was the Great Leap Forward and
How Did it Emerge? (D) �e Future -- from Rienzi, Beethoven,
and Meyerbeer to Der fliegende Holländer.
The Wildnis program began modestly in 2001 with 25
participants and one speaker: Simon Williams speaking on
Wagner’s drama. �e program continued to a second year and
Board of Directors with Jeffrey Swann at the piano. Left
to Right: Diane Stanley, Guillermo Schultz, Frederic
Harwood, Mark Golden, Aury Fernandez (President
Emeritus), Jackie Rosen (Office Manager), Simon Williams
(lecturer) and Lynne Lambert (Board member and Wildnis
2010 co-organizer with Jackie Rosen).
Cast for the “Saturday Night Live” libretto reading aloud in
English. Left to right: Ruth Mitchell, Sue Bogner, Jeffrey
Swann, Frank Pierce, Susan Pulaski, Phil Pulaski, Simon
Williams, Robin Elwood, Bob Misbin, Victoria Cordova
and Jean Nelson.
The Evelyn Lear and Thomas Stewart Emerging Singers (ESP) Program
The ESP continues to flourish under the creative aegis of
Evelyn Lear, assisted by John Edward Niles and the loyal
support of our Members and friends.
19th ESP Concert -- the first ESP concert away from
Washington DC -- was presented in conjunction with
Opera Roanoke and conductor Steven White. Tenor
Brian Register and soprano Julia Rolwing sang the Act
1 finale from Die Walküre. Othalie Graham sang the
Tristan und Isolde Liebestod and the Götterdämmerung
then for a decade with an additional speaker: Jeffrey Swann
speaking on Wagner’s music. �e program has expanded to 70
Members who take part each year at Capacpon State Resort,
Berkeley Springs, WV, the home for this program.
Wildnis, in the German language for us, refers to Wagner’s
desire for programs in the bucolic countryside -- like Bayreuth
-- rather than the bustling city. It also means for us the
exploration of the outer reaches of Wagner’s musical and
theatrical genius where Simon and Jeffrey have taken us for
the past decade. Readers interested in the DVDs of this and
previous years’ Wildnis programs may purchase them on the
WSWDC website (www.wagner-dc.org)
immolation scene. The Roanoke Times wrote: “Graham,
conductor Steven White, and the orchestra earned
thunderous applause at the conclusion of the immolation
scene, and the entire cast earned standing ovations.”
Roanoke VA (October 19)
20 th ESP Concert presented baritone Benjamin
Gelfand, tenor Scott Fix, soprano Rebecca Teem, and
mezzo Megan Magee, accompanied by Betty Bullock.
Arts Club of Washington DC. (November 19)
Page 3

Page 4
Emerging Singer Program Updates
21 st ESP Concert presented baritone Benjamin
Gelfand, tenor Scott Six, soprano Karen Foster, soprano
Natalie Bergeron, and tenor Patrick Cook, accompanied
by Betty Bullock. German Embassy (April 8)
Young Musicians Foundation, Santa Monica, CA
presented Othalie Graham (ESP 2008-9), Pavil Izdebski
(ESP 2005) and Jeffrey Springer (ESP 2006) who sang,
respectively, Isolde, King Marke and Tristan in a concert
version of Act 2 of Tristan und Isolde. Santa Monica CA
(February 1)
Jennifer Wilson (ESP 2001, 2004) sang Brünnhilde
for the Valencia Ring, now available on DVD. She sang
Gutrune in the Los Angeles Opera’s 2010 Ring, and sang
Isolde for the Chicago Lyric February 9 production.
In 2009 she also sang Aida for Opera Australia. She
is scheduled to sing in Fidelio in Liepzig, Turandot in
Frankfurt, and for the upcoming Guerre-Lieder in Tel
Aviv with Zubin Mehta.
Rebecca Teem (ESP 2005, 2007) is contracted with
Opera Lübeck, Germany. She sang Turandot in June
2010, Brünnhilde in the company’s 2009 Ring; she also
covered Brünnhilde for the Met’s 2009 production of
Die Walkure.
Jason Stearns (ESP 2005, 2006, 2007) is singing Scarpia
in Opera Oslo this summer, and will sing in the Met’s 2010
productions of Boris Godonov and Simon Boccanegra.
Corey Bix (ESP 2007) in his WNO debut sang Bacchus
in Ariadne auf Naxos. In the 2009-10 season he sang
with the Vienna Volksoper, Oper Graz, Theater Kiel, San
Francisco Opera, and Greek National Opera.
Othalie Graham (ESP 2008, 2009) sang Aida in Ankara,
Turkey, and is scheduled to sing Turandot for Opera
Arizona in 2011. She won the Wagner Prize in the 2009
Gerde Lisner vocal competition contest in New York, in
which baritone Ben Gelfand placed third.
Tenor Michael Hays (ESP 2004, 2007) sang Harrod in
Opera St. Louis’ 2009 production of Salome.
19th ESP
Concert with
Opera Roanoke.
Left to right:
tenor Brian
Register and
sopranos Julia
Rolwing and
Othalie Graham
take their bows
with conductor
Steven Smith, who made the concert possible in
conjunction with Evelyn Lear.
20th ESP
Concert.
Left to right:
John Edward
Niles,
pianist Betty
Bullock,
tenor Jeffrey
Easter,
Evelyn Lear,
tenor Richard
Novak, bassbaritone
Ben Gelfand, tenor Jeffrey Ambrosini and
(partially visible) mezzo-soprano Shannon McGee
at the Arts Club, Washington DC. (November 2009)
21st ESP Concert. Left to right: sopranos Karen
Foster and Natalie Bergeron, pianist Betty Bullock,
bass-bariltone Benjamin Gelfand, Evelyn Lear,
tenors Scott Six, Patrick Cook and Bret Stater at
the German Embassy. (April 2010)

EVENTS IN THE STUDY AND ENJOYMENT OF WAGNER’S ART
Wolfgang and Gudrun Wagner
Our Society had a special relationship with
Wolfgang and Gudrun ever since they came to
Washington in February 1999 for the WNO
Tristan und Isolde. Gudrun arranged for us an
annual allotment of Bayreuth Festival tickets,
prized by our Members ever since. We have
been special beneficiaries of Festival hospitality
for which we are grateful. (Wolfgang died on
March 21, 2010; Grudrun died on November
28, 2007.)
Book Signing for John Pohanka’s Wagner the Mystic
John Pohanka with Anne Klein (his daughter in law) who co-hosted
the book launch and signing with John’s son Geoffrey along with
Guillermo and Cecilia Schultz at the Waterview in Arlington VA
overlooking Washington DC.
WSWDC Members at LA Ring
June 2010
Left to right: Frederic Harwood, Richard
Soderquist, ESP soprano Jennifer Wilson (who
sang Gutrune to Alan Held’s Gunther), Sally Ann
Greer, Jack Sulser and Cathy Soderquist.
WSWDC at Bayreuth 2009
Members attending Bayreuth 2009
included Jan and Elizabeth Lodal, Nancy
O’Hara, Cecilia and Guillermo Schultz,
Cathy and Dick Soderquist and Alfred
and Mela Schultz.
In Memorium
Gudrun and Wolfgang greet WSWDC
Members at 2006 Bayreuth Festival
Chairman Jim Holman and Diana Holman
speaking with WNO Stage Manager
Beth Krynicke.
Götterdämmerung Cast Party
M a e s t r o P h i l l i p A u g u i n ,
w h o c o n d u c t e d t h e W N O
Götterdämmerung performance on
November 15, at the cast dinner
party with WNO Director of Artistic
Operations Christina Scheppelmann
and WSWDC President Emeritus
Aurelius Fernandez.
Sherwin Sloan
As co-founder of the Wagner Society of
Southern California (WSSC) in 1982,
Sherwin was helpful to us (as with our New
York Wagner Society friends) in 1998 when
we created our Society. Sherwin hosted
the annual Rheingold dinner and cast party
during the Third Cycle at Bayreuth and
extended legendary hospitality to WSWDC
Members in Berlin, Seattle and Chicago.
(Sherwin died on June 3, 2010.)
Page 5

Page 6
Members and Contributors 2009-2010
By Lynne Lambert:
�e year 2010 was a good one for membership, because so many Members raised their membership category. We are
indeed grateful, as this welcome development resulted in significantly increased revenues. A total of 27% of members
joined at one of the premium levels in 2010. �e total number of Members was 500, about the same as the previous
year.
Members are our most important asset, and we appreciate their loyalty and enthusiasm. After New York, we are the largest
Wagner Society in the United States. To remain dynamic, we need to add to our membership base. You can help us
yet again by introducing at least one new friend to the Wagner Society in 2011!
Rona M. and Erwin B.
Drucker Charitable Trust
Mark & Annette Golden
Betty Byrne
Donald Crosby & Bonnie Becker
Kenneth R. Feinberg
Aurelius & Janet Fernandez
Sponsors
�omas C. Brennan
John & Polli Brunelli
Robin & Katherine Elwood
Kathleen & Richard Fuller
Margaret C Jones
Jan & Elizabeth Lodal
Etsuro K. Motoyama & Linda
Nardone
Ilse Niedermeyer
Bill & Cathy Pastor
Richard & Marie Sippel
Barbara Teichert
Ralph & Katheryne West
William Zeile & Maria Yang
Donors
Donald R. Allen
Walter Arnheim & Marsha
Rehns
Jean Arnold
Meistersingers Guild
J.K. & Diana Holman
Christine Hunter
Pilgrims Chorus
Frederic Harwood Lynne Lambert
Golden Ring
Cragg Hines
Eliot & Blaine Marshall
Robert I. Misbin & Audrey Pendergast
John Edward Niles
Sponsors, Donors and Patrons
Beatrice Bobotek
Donald Dittberner & Roswitha
Augusta
John A. Graham
Reinhard & Elsie Ilgner
Stephen Kitchen
William Malone
William Martin & Maria L. Wagner
Roberta V. McKay
Dr. Ruth Mitchell
Allen & Myrna Mondzac
Philip & Ann Ruppe
David Ryan
Vincent & Helen Sheehy
Patrons
Peter R. Agnew
Andrew & Joanne Barnhart
Robin A. Berrington
Alfred & Patricia Boyd
Maija Budow
John & Lynn Pohanka
Guillermo & Cecilia Schultz
�e Cafritz Foundation
Maika Siebeck
Richard & Cathy Soderquist
�omas & Diane Stanley
Jack Sulser & Sally Ann Greer
Stephen Case & Margaret Ayers
Jennifer Choate Woods
Victoria Cordova
Mark Davenport
John E. Dixon
Joy Dunkerley
Edwin Gaar
Benno Gerson
John & Rita Grunwald
Joyce & Charles Hagel
-Silverman
Hermann Helgert
Joan H. Jackson
William Jegl & Linda Carducci
Henry & Helen Justi
S. Jason Kapnick
Dr. Barbara Karn
Alexandra Kauka
Dr. Martha Kern
Dr. Elise K. Kirk
Patricia Kirkham

The Wagner Society of Washington DC is funded in part by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities,
an agency supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Patrons (Con’t)
Jean & Jules Lauderdale
Maurice & Ann Meneguzzi
Ingrid Meyer
Marc Nicholson
Nancy O’Hara
Francis Pierce
Larry & Harriet Pressler
Philip & Susan Pulaski
James & Henrietta Randolph
Kinga Revesz
Jeffrey Roames & Myra Feldman
Francois Roy
Robert Schreiber
Dan Sherman
E. Michael Southwick
William & Allaire Stallsmith
Mark L. Villamar & Esther Milsted
Esther C. Williams
Kenneth & Dorothy Woodcock
Page 7

Board of Directors
J.K. Holman
Chairman
Directors
Betty Byrne
Mark J. Golden
Frederic Harwood
Lynne Lambert
Eliot Marshall
John Edward Niles
John J. Pohanka
Guillermo Schultz
Diane Stanley
Rodrigo Trevino
Jacqueline Rosen
Office Manager
Aurelius Fernandez
President Emeritus
Editors:
Aurelius Fernandez
Frederic Harwood
NON-PROFIT
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
WASHINGTON, DC
PERMIT NO. 1895
UPCOMING PROGRAM
Friday, September 24 at the German Embassy “Goethe, Wagner and the Evolution of Kultur”
1pm to 5 pm Seminar with presentations including professor Donald Crosby, maestro Saul Lilienstein
and others. 5:30 pm Dinner at the German House 7:30 pm Concert and Commentary by pianist Jeffrey
Swann. (This is a German Embassy event and will require advanced registration.)
Friday, September 17 Annual Garden Party hosted by Chairman J.K. Holman and Diana
Holman.
Thursday, October 14 Professor Nicolas Vazonyi discusses his recently published book Richard Wagner
-- Self Promotion and the Making of a Brand.
Thursday, October 28 the 22nd Evelyn Lear and Thomas Stewart Emerging Singers Concert (ESP)
at 7:30 pm at the German Embassy.
Monday, November 15 Iain Scott, Wagner expert from Canada is welcomed back.
Saturday, November 20, with the Smithsonian Institution, an all-day Wagner symposium, with live
musical selections performed by ESP participants.
�e Wagner Society of Washington, DC
PO Box 58213
Washington, DC 20037
�����������������������������������������
www.wagner-dc.org
Upcoming Events:
Friday, September 24 Seminar, Dinner and Concert at the German Embassy
Friday, September 17 Garden Party
�ursday, September 21 22nd Emerging Singers Concert
It’s time to renew or join for the first time for the 2010-2011 Membership Year!
(see Page 7)
�e Wagner Society of Washington, DC
PO Box 58213
Washington, DC 20037