Opera Innovators Series: Master Class with Norman Garrett, Baritone

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Sunday / September 28, 2025 / 3:00 p.m.

Studio T401 (Boston Conservatory at Berklee)

31 Hemenway Street

Boston

02215

United States

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Boston Conservatory at Berklee welcomes acclaimed baritone Norman Garrett for a master class, as part of the Opera Innovators Series.

Presented in partnership with Boston Lyric Opera (BLO), Boston Conservatory at Berklee’s Opera Innovators Series engages today’s most innovative leaders in the field of opera and art song to present master classes, panel discussions, Q&As, and more to Boston Conservatory students and members of BLO’s Jane and Steven Akin Emerging Artists.

Garrett, who has been called “scene-stealing” by the New York Times, is enjoying a varied and exciting career. In the 2024–2025 season, Garrett will return to Washington National Opera as Crown in Porgy and Bess, the Reverend in Blue with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, a role debut as Macbeth with Opera Orlando, and Abdul in Omar in concert with Quad City Symphony. Additional concert appearances included Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Phoenix Symphony.

In the 2023–2024 season, Garrett made a house debut at San Francisco Opera, singing Abdul and Abe in Omar; returned to LA Opera as Bob in William Grant Still’s Highway 1, USA, and sang Masetto in Don Giovanni with Houston Grand Opera and Jochanaan in Salome with Des Moines Metro Opera. He also completed a residency with Cedar Rapids Opera, where he debuted the role of Scarpia in Tosca and later returned for Carmina Burana. In concert, he performed Carmina Burana with Orchestra of St. Luke’s at Carnegie Hall.

In recent seasons, Norman Garrett has performed Conte in Le nozze di Figaro with Seattle Opera as well as Garby in the world premiere of The Factotum and Dr. T in the world premiere of Proximity, both at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Additional credits include LA Opera as Abdul in Omar; Houston Grand Opera as Ríolobo in Daniel Catán’s Florencia en el Amazonas; Escamillo in Carmen with Austin Opera, Opera Orlando, Opera Columbus, and Lubbock Symphony; the title role in Chausson’s Le roi Arthus with Bard SummerScape; the Metropolitan Opera and Lyric Opera of Chicago as the Foreman/Adult James in Fire Shut Up in My Bones; the title role in Don Giovanni and Jochanaan in Salome, both with Dayton Opera; the title role in Delius’s Koanga with the Wexford Festival in Ireland; Larkens in La fanciulla del West with the Bayerische Staatsoper; and Ned in a new edition of Treemonisha with Opera Theatre of St. Louis.

This fall at Boston Lyric Opera, Garrett stars as the tyrannical title role of Macbeth in Giuseppe Verdi’s powerful tragedy based ‬‭on ‬‭Willam‬‭ Shakespeare's classic ‬‭play.‬ Performances are on October 10 and 12 at ‬‭the ‬‭Emerson ‬‭Colonial ‬‭Theatre.

Presented in partnership with Boston Lyric Opera (BLO), Boston Conservatory at Berklee’s Opera Innovators Series engages today’s most innovative leaders in the field of opera and art song to present master classes, panel discussions, Q&As, and more to Boston Conservatory students and members of BLO's Jane and Steven Akin Emerging Artists.

Program Information

Repertoire

GAETANO DONIZETTI (1797–1848): “Bella siccome un angelo” from Don Pasquale

Yanghao Liu, baritone*

CARLISLE FLOYD (1926–1921): “Ain’t it a pretty night” from Susannah

Josie Larsen, soprano^

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART (1756–1791): “Hai già vinta la causa” from Le nozze di Figaro

John Tuvera Lim, baritone*

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART (1756–1791): “Parto, parto, ma tu ben mio” from La clemenza di Tito

Chihiro Asano, mezzo-soprano*^#

* Boston Conservatory at Berklee student
^ Boston Lyric Opera Jane & Steven Akin Emerging Artist
# Boston Lyric Opera Chorister and Education Outreach Artist

Texts and Translations

GAETANO DONIZETTI (1797–1848): “Bella siccome un angelo” from Don Pasquale
Bella siccome un angelo
Beautiful as an angel
in terra pellegrino,
like a pilgrim on earth,
fresca siccome il giglio
fresh as a lily
che s'apre sul mattino,
which opens in the morning,
occhio che parla e ride,
eyes that speak and laugh,
sguardo che i cor conquide,
looks that can conquer the heart,
chioma che vince l'ebano,
hair blacker than ebony,
sorriso incantator.
enchanting smile.

Alma innocente, ingenua,
A soul so innocent and candid,
che sè medesma ignora;
that ignores itself;
modestia impareggiabile,
unparalleled modesty,
bontà che v'innamora.
sweetness with which one falls in love.
Ai miseri pietosa,
Compassionate to the poor,
gentil, dolce, amorosa,
gentle, good, loving,
il ciel l'ha fatta nascere
heaven gave her birth
per far beato un cor.
to make happy hearts.

CARLISLE FLOYD (1926–1921): “Ain’t it a pretty night” from Susannah
Ain't it a pretty night!
The sky's so dark and velvet-like
and it's all lit up with stars.
It's like a great big mirror
reflectin' fireflies over a pond.
Look at all them stars, Little Bat,
the longer y'look the more y'see.
The sky seems so heavy with stars
that it might fall right down out of heaven
and cover us all up in one big blanket
of velvet all stitched with diamon's.

Ain't it a pretty night.
Just think, those stars can all peep down
an' see way beyond where we can:
They can see way beyond them mountains
to Nashville and Asheville and Knoxville.
I wonder what it's like out there,
out there beyond them mountains
where the folks talk nice an' the folks dress nice
like y'see in the mail order catalogs.
I aim to leave this valley some day
an' find out for myself:
To see all the tall buildin's and all the street lights
an' to be one o'them folks myself.

I wonder if I'd get lonesome fer the valley though,
fer the sound of crickets an' the smell of pine straw,
fer soft little rabbits an' bloomin' things
an' the mountains turnin' gold in the fall.
But I could always come back if I got homesick fer the valley.
So I'll leave it someday an' see fer myself.
Someday I'll leave an' then I'll come back
when I've seen what's beyond them mountains.

Ain't it a pretty night.
The sky's so heavy with stars tonight
that it could fall right down out of heaven
an' cover us up, and cover us up
in one big blanket of velvet and diamon's.

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART (1756–1791): “Hai già vinta la causa” from Le nozze di Figaro
Hai già vinta la causa! Cosa sento!
You’ve won the case already! What do I hear!
In qual laccio io cadea?
What trap have I fallen into?
Perfidi! Io voglio di tal modo punirvi...
Scoundrels! I’ll punish you in this way…
A piacer mio la sentenza sarà...
The decision will be how I want it…
Ma s'ei pagasse la vecchia pretendente?
But if he pays off the old plaintiff?
Pagarla! In qual maniera!
Pay her! How!
E poi v'è Antonio, che a un incognito Figaro ricusa
And then there’s Antonio, who won’t give his niece
di dare una nipote in matrimonio.
In marriage to the nobody Figaro.
Coltivando l'orgoglio
To nurture that pride
di questo mentecatto…
of that half-wit…
Tutto giova a un raggiro...
Everything favors my plan…
il colpo è fatto.
the die is cast.

Vedrò mentre io sospiro,
Shall I, while I’m sighing
felice un servo mio!
see one of my servants happy!
E un ben ch'invan desio,
And the good thing I want in vain,
ei posseder dovrà?
shall he have it?
Vedrò per man d'amore
Shall I see, by the hand of love,
unita a un vile oggetto
the woman united to a vile object,
chi in me destò un affetto
who woke in me a feeling
che per me poi non ha?
she doesn’t have for me?

Ah no, lasciarti in pace,
Ah no, I won’t leave
non vo' questo contento,
this happiness in peace,
tu non nascesti, audace,
you weren’t born, rash person,
per dare a me tormento,
to torture me,
e forse ancor per ridere
and maybe to laugh
di mia infelicità.
at my unhappiness.
Già la speranza sola
Now only the hope
delle vendette mie
of the revenges I’ll have
quest'anima consola,
consoles this soul,
e giubilar mi fa.
and makes me rejoice.

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART (1756–1791): “Parto, parto, ma tu ben mio” from La clemenza di Tito
Parto, ma tu ben mio,
I leave, my love,
meco ritorna in pace;
but let us make peace;
saro qual piu ti piace;
I will be as you wish;
quel che vorrai fato.
and do that you desire.

Guardami, e tutto oblio,
Look at me, and I forget everything,
e a vendicarti io volo;
and I fly to avenge you;
a questo sguardo dolo da me si pensera.
I will think only of your glance.
Ah qual poter, oh Dei!
Ah, what power, oh gods!
Donaste alla belta.
You gave to beauty.

About the Series

Boston Conservatory at Berklee's Opera Innovators Series engages today’s most innovative leaders in the field of opera and art song to present master classes, panel discussions, Q&As, and more to Boston Conservatory students and members of Boston Lyric Opera’s Jane and Steven Akin Emerging Artists. This series is made possible in partnership with Boston Lyric Opera—learn more.

Concert Services Staff

Assistant Director, Concert Services – Luis Herrera Coordinator, Concert Services – Matthew Carey
Concert Production Manager – Kendall Floyd
Performance Technology Technicians – Sara Pagiaro, Goran Daskalov
Performance Technology Specialist – Andrei Radu

Boston Conservatory thanks audience members for viewing this program information online. This paperless program saved 200 sheets of paper, 21 gallons of water, and 18 pounds of CO2-equivalent greenhouse gas emissions.