Category Archives: Uncategorized

Gilliam&Payne – April 11, 2026

Puccini Society of Dallas presents

Gabrielle Gilliam & Malcolm Payne, Jr.
accompanied by Sara Steele

In their presentation of “Star-Crossed Lovers”


Saturday, April 11, 2026
3:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Members $35  Guests $45

Complimentary Valet

For catering purposes,
kindly RSVP
no later than April 5th to:
PucciniSociety@gmail.com

Payments by check may be
paid at the door or mailed to:

Puccini Society of Dallas
P.O. Box 1782
Colleyville, TX  76034

Payments by credit card, please contact Jana at 817.999.5509


Sabatina Mauro – December 20, 2025

Puccini Society of Dallas
Welcomes
Sabatina Mauro, soprano & Tres Hunter, bass
with Timothy Sanchez, pianist

Presenting

An Afternoon of Love Songs
(and Whatever Basses Sing About)

Saturday, December 20, 2025
3:00 pm – 5:00 pm


Members $35 Guests $45

Complimentary Valet

For catering purposes, kindly RSVP
by December 15th to:
PucciniSociety@gmail.com

Payments by check may be paid at the door or mailed to:
Puccini Society of Dallas
P.O. Box 1782
Colleyville, TX 76034

Payments by credit card, please contact Jana at 817.999.5509


Rainelle Krause – Nov. 1, 2025

Puccini Society of Dallas
WELCOMES BACK


Rainelle Krause, soprano
and
Cheryl Cellon Lindquist, pianist
with their presentation of

“Her Voice”

Saturday, November 1, 2025
3:00 pm – 5:00 pm

at the Park Towers Condos in the Park Room
3310 Fairmont Street
Dallas, TX 75201

Members $35 Guests $45
Complimentary Valet


For catering purposes, kindly RSVP by Oct 28th to:

PucciniSociety@gmail.com
Payments by check may be paid at the door or mailed to:
Puccini Society of Dallas
P.O. Box 1782
Colleyville, TX 76034

Payments by credit card, please contact Jana at 817.999.5509


Puccini friends – we are excited about our program on November 1st, with the very talented Rainelle Krause. She has titled this program “Her Voice,” which is sure to be fabulous. Her impressive bio is below.

If you have not RSVP’d yet, please do so as soon as possible. We base our catering and valet needs on the RSVP’s we receive. Thank you very much!


Known for her pristine, fiery coloratura, soprano Rainelle Krause brings an unflinching ferocity coupled with a deeply truthful humanity to the stage. She recently impressed audiences and critics alike at her début with Nashville Opera in the title role of Donizetti’s Lucia, where she was hailed as “a dream” by Music City Review.  Her signature role, Die Königin der Nacht in Die Zauberflöte, was well-received at Atlanta Opera, with Opera Magazine noting her “elegant” coloratura. Previous seasons for Ms. Krause brought several significant appearances as Die Königin der Nacht at Royal Danish OperaDutch National OperaStaatsoper Berlin Unter den LindenNashville Opera, and at Les Arts, València. She has also brought her in-demand Königin to Deutsche Oper BerlinTheater BaselOper KölnOpera Orchestre Montpellier OccitanieNorth Carolina Opera, and The Metropolitan Opera (cover). This season, she reprises her celebrated Königin in company débuts with The Metropolitan OperaSanta Fe OperaSt. Louis SymphonyOpera Atelier, and presents a number of Mozart arias in concert with English National Opera.

Other recent highlights include her guest artist appearance with English National Opera’s BBC Proms concert “Horrible Histories: ‘Orrible Opera”, soprano soloist for the Brevard Music Festival’s Carmina Burana under Maestra JoAnn Falletta, Oscar in Un ballo in maschera at Royal Danish Opera, the Princess in The Snow Queen at Concertgebouw Amsterdam under the baton of Kent Nagano, Tania in Al gran sole carico d’amore with Theater Basel, Pat Nixon in Nixon in China at The Princeton Festival, Zerlina in Don Giovanni with The Dallas Opera (cover), and featured artist for Opus Opera’s event, Mystique, a circus and opera collaboration.

Ms. Krause has been awarded First Place in the Fielder Grant Competition, Third Place and Audience Favorite in the Orpheus Competition, and has been chosen as one of four winners in the Texas Camerata’s Baroque Aria Competition. She was a finalist in the Lois Alba Competition in Houston as well as the International Mildred Miller Competition in Pittsburgh, a Regional Finalist with the Metropolitan National Council Auditions in New Orleans and St. Louis, and a semi-finalist with the Licia Albanese Puccini Foundation and Gari Foundation competitions in New York City.





Puccini Society of Dallas
P.O. Box 1782
Colleyville, TX 76034

Opera through the Ages – April 19, 2025

The Puccini Society of Dallas Presents

Opera through the Ages

Saturday, April 19, 2025, at 3:00 pm

INTRODUCING

  • Grace Monsanto, soprano
  • Lexi Cook, mezzo soprano
  • Diego Roberts Buceta, tenor
  • Kara Solis, pianist

at the home of Linda and Tom Smith

Members $30 – Guests $40

Complementary Valet Parking

Puccini Society of Dallas
P.O Box 1782
Colleyville, TX 76034

For catering purposes, please RSVP by April 14th.

Dear Puccini members and friends:

Our April program is coming soon, presented by several of Virginia Dupuy’s students. They always provide for us a lovely program. See the invitation for details, with our thanks to Lillian Ragland for the design of our monthly invitations.

Marilyn Halla, Puccini Society of Dallas

Leoncavallo Boheme – March 22, 2025

The Puccini Society of Dallas Presents
The “Other” La Boheme as composed by Ruggiero Leoncavallo

Introducing Talented Young Singers from UNT Opera on Tap

Saturday, March 22, 2025
3:00 to 5:00

Members $40Guests $50

(due to a large cast of performers for this event, our monthly fee has increased slightly)

Complimentary Valet


Payment by check may be paid at the door or mailed to:

Puccini Society of Dallas
P.O. Box 1782
Colleyville, TX 76034

Payments by Credit Card: Please contact Jana at 817 999 5509


Puccini members and friends of the Puccini Society:

Since we have all enjoyed the Dallas Opera’s production of Puccini’s La Boheme, we’ll take this opportunity to explore the “other” La Boheme composed by Puccini’s contemporary, Ruggero Leoncavallo (best known for Pagliacci).  This version of La Boheme was well received and popular in its day.  However, Puccini’s work won out in time.

See our March invitation and please note – since we are hosting a larger than usual number of performers, we have raised our event fees slightly to help defray the costs involved with this program. Thank you for understanding.

Again, our thanks to Lillian Ragland for assisting us with the design of our monthly event invitations.

Marilyn Halla, Puccini Society of Dallas


Musette – Brianna Clancy, mezzo-soprano
Mimi – Judith Rodriguez, soprano
Rodolpho – Daniel Lickteig, baritone
Marcello – Cecil Garrison, tenor
Schaunard – Avery Sanderlin, baitone
Piano – Cristian Humberto Garcia

Opera Arlington – Nov 18, 2023

The Puccini Society of Dallas Presents

An Afternoon of Music with Opera Arlington

Presented by Bree Nichols

Founder and Director of Opera Arlingto

Bree Nichols, soprano – Jason Nichols, tenor
Chivonne Perkins, soprano – Megan Koch, soprano

Saturday, November 18, 2023, at 3:00 pm

Park Towers on Turtle Creek
3310 Fairmount,
Dallas  75201

Members  $30   Guests  $40

Valet Parking provided

Kindy RSVP by November 13 to
PucciniSociety@gmail.com

Mail checks to:

Puccini Society of Dallas
P.O. Box 1782
Colleyville, TX  76034-1782

call Jana at (817) 999-5509 BEFORE Nov 6 for credit card payments.

Matthew Dexter – Oct. 28, 2023

The Puccini Society of Dallas presents
our October program

Introducing

Matthew Dexter, baritone
accompanied by Stephen Dubberly

 Saturday, October 28, 2023

3:00 pm

Members  $30        Guests  $40

Valet Parking provided

Kindy RSVP by Oct 25 to PucciniSociety@gmail.com

Mail checks to:

Puccini Society of Dallas
P.O. Box 1782
Colleyville, TX  76034-1782

Puccini Friends – We are excited to gather on Saturday, October 28 to hear from a talented young UNT student, Matthew Dexter. Please see Matthew’s bio information below. Also, refer to the invitation for the October program attached. Thank you to all who have already responded.  Please RSVP no later than Oct 25 if you ploan to attend.

Marilyn Halla

Photo Gallery

Photos by Ed Flaspoehler

Artist Bio

MATTHEW DEXTER, bass-baritone from McKinney, Texas, is a senior majoring in vocal performance at the University of North Texas.  He is a member of UNT’s A Cappella Choir and the Vox Aquilae Baroque choir.  During his time with UNT Opera, he has performed the roles of Mícha in The Bartered Bride, Bartolo in Le nozze di Figaro, and Zúñiga in Carmen. He will premiere the role of the Conductor in That Hellbound Train in spring 2024.  He also performed the role of The Herald in the concert version of Verdi’s Otello with the UNT Symphony Orchestra.  For the past two years, as a vocal fellow at Spoleto Festival USA, Matthew appeared in the world premiere of Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels’ Pulitzer Prize-winning opera Omar in 2022 and covered the role of the Old Doctor in Samuel Barber’s Vanessa.  He was a winner of Youngarts 2020 and performed at the winners’ concert in Miami.

Stephen Dubberly, a faculty member in the UNT College of Music, has written of Matthew, “There is no question in my mind that he is by far the most outstanding undergraduate with whom I have worked in my 40 years of university teaching.”

Additionally, Matthew was named as the Presser Undergraduate Scholar recipient for 2022-2023. See below about this prestigious award:

The Presser Undergraduate Scholar Award is presented annually to a student entering their senior year who has shown extraordinary musical and academic accomplishments. The Presser award is considered the most prestigious undergraduate honor in music at the University of North Texas and is provided by the Presser Foundation that awards annual scholarships, grants and funds for the furthering of music education and music in America.

In perpetuity, the recipients are referred to as Presser Scholars. The winner is nominated by the College of Music faculty and selected by the College of Music Council of Division Chairs. The scholarship has been awarded annually for more than six decades.

Sabatina Mauro – Sept. 30, 2023

The Puccini Society of Dallas presents

“Suits, Sisters and Sidekicks, an Operatic Afternoon”

Sabatina Mauro – Mezzo Soprano
Jiyoun Oh – Pianist

in loving memory of Robert Maris

September 30, 2023 at 3:00 PM

Members $30 / Guests $40
(Valet parking provided)
Kindly RSVP by September 25th
PucciniSociety@gmail.com

Mail checks to:
Puccini Society of Dallas
P. O. Box 1782
Colleyville, TX. 76034-1782

Credit card payments: Contact Jana @ (817) 999-5509

The Puccini Society’s first program of the fall season is planned for Sept. 30.  Sabatina Mauro will present our program.  She is a young artist with the Dallas Opera and is a very fine mezzo.  I know you’ll enjoy her program.  

Please mark you calendar for our first event on September 30.
Please R.S.V.P by September 25.

Marilyn Halla,
Puccini Society of Dallas

Puccini News – May 2023

Bethany Jelinek

Puccini Friends;  

After what seems like a long intermission, we’re ready to finish the season with two nice events.  

Our final Puccini program for this season will be on May 27.  Bethany Jelinek, winner of the People’s Choice Award  at our recent  Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition will present our program. 

Our invitation and details will be coming soon.

The Lafayette Musicians

Matthieu Peyregne du Mortier, who presented an early French music program for us last season has created a new organization called Lafayette Musicians.  Their first concert is on May 21 at 4:00 p.m.  See the information which follows.

Under the direction of Matthieu  Peyregne du Motier,  a French conductor specializing in baroque music, the Lafayette Musicians, a new professional orchestra and choir plans to perform 4 great Sacred classical music concerts every year.

Their inaugural concert will be held on Sunday, May 21st at Christ the King Catholic Church in Dallas, Texas at 4pm.

The concert will feature:

Handel and Lully on David’s psalms : Dixit Dominus, Miserere, De Profondis,…

This incredible music will be performed on historical instruments. In addition, the audience will receive booklets with translations and theological explanations to enhance their understanding and enjoyment of the concert.

Marilyn Halla
Puccini Society of Dallas

Josefina Maldonado Dec 4, 2021

Puccini Society of Dallas presents

Josefina Maldonado, Mezzo-soprano

Josefina Maldonado
Mezzo Soprano

Saturday, December 4, 2021 at 3:00 P.M.

Members $25 Guests $35
Valet Parking Provided

RSVP by Dec 1 to
PucciniSociety@gmail.com

Pay at Door or mail check to
Puccini Society
PO Box 25105,
Dallas, TX 75225

For credit card charges, please contact
Jana at 817-999-5509

Josefina Maldonado, Mezzo-soprano

Emerging Dallas-born artist, Josefina Maldonado has been critically acclaimed by The Texas Classical Review and Theater Jones as ‘vocally superb’ with a ‘remarkably rich timbre’. Ms. Maldonado was a young artist with The Dallas Opera Outreach Program in the role(s) of Veronica/Dr. Miracle and Dorabella/ Così Fan Tutte, for Bremen Town Musicians.

For her European debut, Ms. Maldonado was a principle artist in two modern world premieres of serenatas by Johannes Schmelzer; Le veglie ossequiose and Die sieben Alter stimmen zusammen, for the Olomouc’s Baroque Festival held in the Czech Republic.

Ms. Maldonado holds a B.M. from the University of North Texas where she was a frequently featured soloist alongside the UNT Symphony Orchestra. Her major roles with UNT Opera included Dorabella/Così Fan Tutte, Ruggiero/Alcina, Cherubino/Le nozze di Figaro, Siébel/Faust and Mother Marie/Dialogues of the Carmelites.


Photo Gallery