Spanish composer and famed conductor, Pedro Halffter creates a new and divergent chamber dance-opera for two pianos and soprano, with a score graced by an open and universal character both in text and music. Through enigmatic lyrics, and the play between music and choreography, KLARA engages the audiences in a current reflection on the development of artificial intelligence, self-awareness, and humanity.

Opera Hispánica, the premiere opera company in the United States focused on the classical vocal arts from the Hispanic perspective, in collaboration with National Sawdust, Divaria Productions, and the New York City Opera, presents the New York premiere of KLARA, in a new production directed and choreographed by acclaimed Broadway choreographer Richard Stafford, featuring soprano Ashley Galvani Bell, dancers Laura Henning, Amanda LaMotte, and Jordana Rosenberg, with Silvia Santinelli and Pedro Halffter himself at the pianos.

The presentation will be followed by a Q&A and discussion about the significance of artificial intelligence and its implications on humanity, featuring Mtro. Halffter with Vedanta scholar Swami Sarvapriyananda, who regularly speaks around the world on the relationship between artificial intelligence and consciousness, and celebrated professors Panos Mavromatis (NYU), whose research focuses on AI-driven analysis and modeling of music, and Ludovic Righetti (NYU), who heads the Machines in Motion Laboratory at the Tandon School of Engineering.

This production is supported in part by Opera America: NYC Opera Grants for Small-Budget Companies, supported by the Howard Gilman Foundation, Acción Cultural Española (AC/E), and the Consulate General of Spain in New York. 

Born in Madrid, Pedro Halffter Caro (composer) is a conductor and composer. From 2001 to 2004 he was Principal Guest Conductor of the Nürnberger Symphoniker, and Principal Conductor of the Bayreuth Festival Youth Orchestra. Other distinguished positions have included Principal and Artistic Director of the Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria from 2004-2015, Artistic Director of the Real Orquesta Sinfónica of Seville from 2004 to 2014, and Artistic Director of the Teatro de la Maestranza of Sevilla from 2004 to 2018. Maestro Halffter has worked in Vienna, Berlin, London, Paris, Madrid, Beijing, Moscow, Tokyo, Shanghai, Salzburg, Munich, Barcelona, Essen, Mannheim and Toulouse conducting orchestras such as London Philharmonia Orchestra, Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, New Japan Philharmonic, Staatskapelle Berlin, Dresdner Philharmonie, Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI, Orchestra Strasbourg Philharmonic, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Warsaw National Philharmonic, Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, and Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, among others. Highlights of his successes as composer include the 2016 premiere at Teatro Real of his new orchestration of Viktor Ullmann's Der Kaiser von Atlantis and his symphonic versions of Wagner's Tannhäuser, Gotterdämmerung, Parsifal & Siegfried, which have been performed by top orchestras in Spain, Italy & France. He has made recordings with labels such as Deutsche Grammophon, Warner Music and Warner Classics. 2022-2023 highlights include Madame Butterfly with Opera de Montréal, Tosca at ABAO, Florencia in Tenerife & La traviata at Teatro de la Maestranza. 2024 includes conducting La Bohème at ABAO and Dialogues at Teatro Cervantes Malaga. He is a member of Real Academia de Bellas Artes de Santa Isabel de Hungría of Seville.

Richard Stafford (director/choreographer) made his New York City Opera debut in 2017 as director and choreographer of the American premiere of Antonio Literes’s Los Elementos. He was immediately re-engaged and directed and choreographed the company’s critically acclaimed 2018 double bill of Rameau's Pigmalion and the American premiere of Donizetti’s Pigmalione. Additional NYCO credits include direction for The Garden of the Finzi-Continis and All Is Calm, choreography for Turandot (2018 with Opera Hong Kong) and, in 2019, choreography for Dear Erich and Stonewall. His Broadway credits include choreographer for In My Life at the Music Box Theatre, associate choreographer for Aspects of Love at the Broadhurst Theatre, and dance supervisor for Cats at the Winter Garden Theatre. Off-Broadway, he was choreographer for A Tree Grows in Brooklyn at St. Clements and director/choreographer for Castle Walk for the New York Musical Festival. Internationally he was director/choreographer for The Full Monty and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in Mexico City; Cats in Copenhagen, São Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro; choreographer for Jesus Christ Superstar in Mexico City; Evita in Sydney; and Cats in Mexico City and Buenos Aires. He has been choreographer for national tours of Cats, My Fair Lady, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Mr. Stafford won the Barrymore Award for outstanding choreography for La Cage aux Folles at the Walnut Street Theatre and the NYMF “Outstanding Choreography” award for Castle Walk.

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CAST 

Hailed by Opera News as “delightful,” Ashley Galvani Bell (Klara) recently made her debut with ABAO Bilbao Opera singing Fiordiligi in Cosi Fan Tutte, sang Cio Cio San in Madama Butterfly with both Bohème Opera New Jersey & Daytona Beach Symphony Society, was soprano soloist with Milan’s Orchestra UNIMI in Mozart’s Exultate Jubilate, sang the title role in Penelope's Dream at Teatro Bretón in Logroño and Ateneo de Madrid and sang as Violetta in La Traviata & soprano soloist in Zemlinsky’s Lyric Symphony with the Festival of Villafranca del Bierzo, Spain.  Other recent highlights include her debut with Seville’s Teatro Maestranza as Violetta in La Traviata, Soprano Soloist in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with Orquesta Sinfonica de Madrid, her Carnegie Hall debut as soprano soloist in Hadyn’s “Nelson” Mass and Schubert’s Mass in C, her New York City Opera debut in L’Amore dei Tre Re, and Mimi in La Bohème with California’s Opera Modesto, Mississippi Opera & Natchez Festival.  Ms. Bell is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Yale University, is a recipient of Yale’s Browne Irish Performing Arts Award and speaks 5 languages fluently. She originated the role of Klara and has performed it in multiple international venues, including Harvard and most recently at Teatro Perez Galdos in Gran Canaria. Upcoming performances include Leonora in Trovatore with Boheme Opera New Jersey and debuts in Denmark and Germany.  

Laura Henning (dancer)  Laura trained at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Houston, Texas, and has been dancing professionally since the age of 18. She performed with the CATS National Tour in the role of Cassandra, danced as a Rockette in the Christmas Spectacular for six seasons, and appeared in many regional musicals. Some of her favorite productions include Victor/Victoria (TUTS), All Shook Up (Miller Outdoor Theatre), and West Side Story (The 5th Avenue). Laura holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from NYU and has recently begun working as a director and choreographer. She extends many thanks to the ineffable Richard Stafford for guiding her on this inspiring journey.

 Jordana Rosenberg (dancer) Jordana is a New York City-based dancer, singer, actor, and teacher originally from Vineland, New Jersey. She began her professional training at the School of the Atlantic City Ballet. Jordana later danced with Princeton Ballet School/American Repertory Ballet as a trainee and second company member, performing notable roles such as the Pas de Trois in Swan Lake and the Lilac Fairy in The Sleeping Beauty. After leaving the company, Jordana danced around the world aboard Mein Schiff 3 with TUI Cruises before relocating to New York City. Most recently, she has performed as a principal dancer for Marguerite Derricks in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and the new Amazon Prime show Étoilé and as a Radio City Rockette. In her spare time, Jordana is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Environmental Science at Southern New Hampshire University.

Amanda LaMotte (dancer) is an accomplished dancer, singer, actor, and educator. Her impressive career includes performances in acclaimed Broadway productions such as Hello, Dolly!, Matilda, Kiss Me, Kate, The Music Man, and Once Upon a Mattress. Originally from Orlando, FL, Amanda began performing at the age of seven. She earned her BFA in Musical Theater from Florida State University and soon after joined the national tour of CATS before making the move to New York City. Amanda made her Broadway debut in Matilda: The Musical, where she performed for two years. She then joined the celebrated revival of Hello, Dolly! alongside icons like Bette Midler, David Hyde Pierce, Bernadette Peters, Victor Garber, and Donna Murphy. In the revival of Kiss Me, Kate, Amanda showcased her talent on national platforms, performing with the cast on The Today Show and The Tony Awards. Her screen credits include appearances in Westworld, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, and Saturday Night Live. Amanda most recently graced the stage in The Music Man, starring Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster, at the Winter Garden Theatre. She also appeared in the concert version of Once Upon a Mattress at New York City Center Encores!, later reprising her role in the show's Broadway transfer.‍

Silvia Santinelli (lead pianist), is known for her interpretations on some of the world’s most prestigious stages, including Carnegie Hall, as well as renowned festivals in Europe and Russia. Born in Mexico, she began performing at age seven in the United States and made her solo debut at twelve with the San Antonio Symphony, eventually garnering acclaim as a “musician of great depth.” In addition to her performances across the U.S. and Mexico, she has captivated audiences at the Chopin International Music Festival in the Czech Republic, the International Piano Festivals in Switzerland and Portugal, and the Rachmaninoff World Piano Festival in Russia receiving high accolades for her performance of Ravel’s La Valse. Notable chamber engagements include the duo appearance in Klara on the stage of New York City Opera; celebrated piano duo collaborations with her sister Silvana, including the San Antonio’s Tuesday Musical Club Artist Series; and powerful chamber performances at the Tobin Center with the Classical Music Institute, among them Wolf-Ferrari’s Sinfonia da Camera. As Co-Founder of the Chamber Orchestra of San Antonio, (now CMI), she has pioneered initiatives to bring classical music to underserved communities, expanding access to exceptional live performances. An avid proponent of early 20^th century Spanish repertoire and that steeped in the Franco-Iberian tradition, her multiple television and radio broadcasts, notably National Public Radio (Performance Today), have featured her appearances, with highlights such as Ravel's Concerto for the Left Hand, under the baton of Kevin Noe. Santinelli holds degrees in Piano Performance from the University of Texas at San Antonio under Valeri Grokhovski, interpretive training from Alexander Alexandrov from the Gnessin Academy of Music in Moscow, and a Doctorate in Musical Arts from the University of Texas at Austin under Anton Nel as a recipient of the FONCA/CONACULTA Grant from the Mexican government.

PRODUCTION CREATIVE TEAM 

John Farrell (set and stage designer) is currently the Director of Production for New York City Opera, overseeing all aspects of physical production and serving as the resident Scenic Designer since 2015. Previously, he was the resident designer for Dicapo Opera in New York, creating over ninety productions from 1992-2013. At Radio City Music Hall, he worked as scenic supervisor for the Spring Spectacular Easter Show and Christmas Show, and for Christmas productions in Chicago, Detroit, and Los Angeles. From 1993-2015, John served as exclusive Set and Illusion Designer for magician Criss Angel, designing for three television specials, six seasons of Mindfreak on A&E, and the Mindfreak off-Broadway show. He was also Director of Illusions for Criss Angel Believe by Cirque du Soleil at the Luxor in Las Vegas, which ran for over seven years, followed by Mindfreak Live at Planet Hollywood. As Production Manager, he managed two live tours, a TV series, and a Vegas show simultaneously. John’s other television credits include Supervising Art Director for America’s Got Talent (seasons 7-10), Gossip Girl, The Tony Awards, and commercials for Toys “R” Us. In Mexico City, he designed Fiddler on the Roof, Sweet Charity, and Besame Mucho for Morris Gilbert. His regional theater credits in the U.S. include work with Walnut Street Theatre, Theatre Under the Stars, and Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, and touring productions for Theatreworks USA and National Lyric Opera.

Eric Lamp (costume designer) noted for producing “particular marvels in imaginative fashion”, returns to Opera Hispánca with this exciting new production of KLARA, after his company debut with Fernanda. Mr. Lamp has over 30 years of experience in NY Theater as a wardrobe professional at the Metropolitan Opera, NYCOpera, NYCBallet, American Ballet Theater, and Broadway and touring companies. As Costume Designer his  work has been seen as Resident Designer with Opera in Williamsburg VA (Rigoletto, Figaro, Barber, Carmen, Traviata, Magic Flute, Pearl Fishers, virtual Orfeo, Cosi, Elixir, Boheme, Giovanni, Fledermaus, Fernanda, Hoffman, Lucia); Bronx Opera (Mikado, virtual Impresario, virtualTrial by Jury, Lady in the Dark (co-Director), Bruschino/Schicchi, Iolanthe); Brooklyn College Conservatory (virtual Carmen); Vital Opera (Four Hands of Bridge); Rutgers College (Medium); Oswego Opera ( Pinafore, Golden Cage, Traviata, Cox in Box/Trial by Jury); Gulf Shore Opera (Giovanni); Prelude Opera (Magic Flute, Operapalooza); Middle Church (Amahl), and with Utopia Opera NY, 22 productions including Musical Theater (Assassins, Passion), Operetta (Iolanthe, Princess Ida, Patience, Grand Duke), Opera(Cendrillon, L’enfant, Der Freischütz, Don Quichotte, Dido, Martha, Baby Doe) and works of modern composers (Harriet Tubman, Some Light Emerges, Hydrogen Jukebox). In addition to KLARA, 2025 sees Mr. Lamp’s designs featured with Opera in Williamsburg VA (Butterfly, Orfeo); Bronx Opera (Hansel, Cosi), and Oswego Opera (Lady in the Dark).

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OTHER TEAM MEMBERS

Camillah Kahn (stage manager)

Tsu Fukuda (assistant stage manager)

Projection and visuals creation in collaboration with Entertainment Technology Department Chair, Susan Brandt, Stage Manager Professor, Leah Montesinos, and interns of City Tech – New York City College of Technology.

Opera Hispánica Artistic and General Director, Jorge Parodi.