A Madison Symphony Christmas

In his 29th season as music director of the Madison Symphony Orchestra (MSO), Grammy and Tony Award-winning conductor John DeMain is noted for his dynamic performances on concert and opera stages throughout the world. American composer Jake Heggie assessed the conductor’s broad appeal, saying, “There’s no one like John DeMain. In my opinion, he’s one of the top conductors in the world.” In January 2023 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Opera Association, the NOA’s highest award.

During his nearly three decades in Madison as the MSO music director, DeMain has consistently raised the quality of the orchestra by introducing blind auditions and continuously expanding the repertoire to encompass ever more challenging and virtuosic works, including the highly-acclaimed performances of the complete symphonies of Gustav Mahler. DeMain also oversaw the move into the world-class Overture Hall and expanded the subscription season to triple performances.

His active conducting schedule has taken him to the stages of the National Symphony, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, the symphonies of Seattle, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Columbus, Houston, San Antonio, Long Beach, and Jacksonville, along with the Pacific Symphony, Boston Pops, Aspen Chamber Orchestra, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, Orchestra of Seville, the Leipzig MDR Sinfonieorchester, and Mexico’s Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional.

Prior engagements include visiting San Francisco Opera as guest conductor for General Director David Gockley’s farewell gala, Northwestern University to conduct Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah, and the Washington National Opera at the Kennedy Center in D.C. to conduct Kurt Weill’s Lost in the Stars. In 2019, he conducted the world premiere of Tazewell Thompson’s Blue at the Glimmerglass Festival to critical acclaim — he “drew a vibrant performance from an orchestra of nearly 50 players; the cast was superb.” (The New York Times) He was also planning to conduct the premiere of Blue at the Washington National Opera in March 2020.

DeMain also serves as artistic director for Madison Opera and in their 2022–2023 season conducts Salome, Trouble in Tahiti, and The Marriage of Figaro. He has been a regular guest conductor with Washington National Opera at the Kennedy Center and has made appearances at the Teatre Liceu in Barcelona, New York City Opera, Michigan Opera Theatre, Los Angeles Opera, Seattle Opera, San Francisco Opera, Virginia Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Aspen Music Festival, Portland Opera, and Mexico’s National Opera.

During his distinguished 17-year tenure with Houston Grand Opera, DeMain led a history-making production of Porgy and Bess, winning a Grammy Award, Tony Award, and France’s Grand Prix du Disque for the RCA recording. In spring 2014, the San Francisco Opera released an HD DVD of their most recent production of Porgy and Bess, conducted by John DeMain.

DeMain began his career as a pianist and conductor in his native Youngstown, Ohio. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at The Juilliard School and made a highly-acclaimed debut with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. DeMain was the second recipient of the Julius Rudel Award at New York City Opera and one of the first six conductors to receive the Exxon/National Endowment for the Arts Conductor Fellowship for his work with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra.

DeMain holds honorary degrees from the University of Nebraska and Edgewood College and he is a Fellow of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters. He resides in Madison and his daughter, Jennifer, is a UW–Madison graduate.

Praised for her “lustrous soprano voice”, Cuban-born soprano Evelyn Saavedra is quickly establishing herself as a “gifted young singer to watch” (South Florida Classical Review). In the 22-23 season, she looks forward to her house and role debut of Mabel in Nashville Opera’s production of Pirates of Penzance. She returns to Alice Tully Hall with Juilliard415, the school’s primary period-instrument ensemble, to sing in Purcell’s King Arthur, and will be joining the Juilliard Orchestra to sing the role of Mimì in Act 1 of La Bohème.

In the 21- 22 season, she was the Third Prize winner of the Gerda Lissner Foundation International Operetta and Zarzuela Competition, and subsequently made her Carnegie Hall debut singing in the winner’s concert. Recent operatic credits include her role and house debut as Musetta in La Bohème with Vero Beach Opera and her return to Pensacola Opera as Rosalba in ​Florencia en el Amazonas. A champion of contemporary music, Ms. Saavedra has had the opportunity to collaborate with composers and contemporary music ensembles on several projects. This fall, led by music director Jeffrey Milarsky, she made her Lincoln Center-Alice Tully Hall debut singing George Crumb’s Ancient Voices of Children with the leading ensemble in New York City’s contemporary music scene: AXIOM.

She has created such roles as Mother in Michael Ching’s world premiere of ​Birthday Clown ​with​ ​Savannah Voice Festival. Additionally, as a member of the Janiec Opera Company at the Brevard Music Center, she created both the role of Featured Dater in the world premiere of Michael Ching’s ​Speed Dating Tonight​, and the female title role of Epiphany Proudfoot in the world premiere of J. Mark Scearce ​Falling Angel​. For her role as Epiphany, the Wall Street Journal wrote of her “alluring soprano who brought sensitivity to Epiphany.” Moreover, in the 16-17 season, she was seen at Pensacola Opera in the role of Sister Catherine in the Florida premiere of Jake Heggie’s ​Dead Man Walking, where she also covered the role of Kitty Hart, and as Young Alyce in Tom Cipullo’s ​Glory Denied.

Rising tenor Limmie Pulliam continues to thrill audiences with his captivating stage presence and his “stentorian, yet beautiful,” sound.  Pulliam was recently praised by the San Francisco Chronicle for his “full-throated vocal power, and intimate lyricism,” with his recent debut at Livermore Valley Opera in Verdi’s Otello.

On December 17th, 2022, Pulliam made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Radamès in Aida, which also served as his role debut. He later performs Radamès with Tulsa Opera for their 75th anniversary gala concert. Elsewhere during the season, he returns to the Cleveland Orchestra for his first performances as Dick Johnson in Puccini’s La Fanciulla del West, conducted by Franz Welser-Möst. In concert, he debuts with the San Diego Symphony singing Verdi’s Requiem and makes his Carnegie Hall debut performing “The Ordering of Moses” in collaboration with his alma mater, The Oberlin Conservatory. He also joins pianist Mark Markham for a series of recitals entitled “Make Them Hear You: A Spiritual Journey” and will also be featured on “operatic greatest hits” concerts with the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra and Delta Symphony. ​

The 2021/22 season was highlighted by his highly-anticipated L..A. Opera debut as Manrico in Verdi’s Il Trovatore, where he was lauded by the Los Angeles Times for his “healthy, focused, ringing tenor.”  He followed that with a successful role debut as Turiddu in Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana with Vashon Opera. Additional performances include his company debut with Livermore Valley Opera in the title role of Verdi’s Otello,  his company debut in Fort Worth Opera’s A Night of Black Excellence Concert, and his rescheduled appearance with The Memphis Symphony Orchestra as the tenor soloist in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. He took the stage again as Verdi’s Otello in his highly-anticipated debut with The Cleveland Orchestra.

The Missouri native trained with the late renowned, pedagogue Richard Miller. He is also a former participant in the young artist programs of Cleveland Opera, Opera Delaware and Opera Memphis. He was the 2012 Artist Division Winner of the National Opera Association’s Vocal Competition and, in 2013, was a winner in the 3rd Annual Concorso Internazionale di Canto della Fondazione Marcello Giordano in Catania, Sicily.

Beverly Taylor, Director

Michael Ross, Artistic Director

Tamera and Leotha Stanley, Directors