The Artists
LISA J. PINKHAM Lighting Designer, Four Loves
members of Eighth Blackbird, the Colburn School, University of Michigan, University of Colorado-Boulder, Southern Methodist University, Midwest Composers’ Symposium, Opera on Tap, Palais de Fontainebleau, Society for American Music Annual Conference, Redeemer Presbyterian Church, Tenth Presbyterian Church, Emmanuel Presbyterian Church, Marble Collegiate Church, and New York- Presbyterian’s Allen Hospital. Werner has also served as composer-in-residence at Chamber Music Campania in Varano, Italy and as Music Director of Christ Church Anglican NYC on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. He completed the Doctor and Master of Music degrees in Composition at Manhattan School of Music and a Bachelor of Music in Composition at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, in addition to summer study at the American Conservatory in Fontainebleau, France. His primary teachers included Joel Hoffman, Michael Fiday, Susan Botti, and J. Mark Stambaugh. A passionate music educator, Werner currently serves as the Director of the Geneva Conservatory at the Geneva School of Manhattan and as a member of the faculty at Manhattan School of Music Precollege. He and his wife, Laura, reside in northern Manhattan. www.kylewerner.com
repertoire with works from internationally acclaimed choreographers including George Balanchine, William Forsythe, Jiří Kylián, Sir Kenneth MacMillan, John Neumeier, Twyla Tharp, and Jerome Robbins. Under Welch’s leadership, Houston Ballet has appeared across the globe including recent engagements in Tokyo, Dubai, Melbourne, New York City, and Washington, D.C. Welch continues to nurture the next generation of artists through the Houston Ballet Academy, a leading institution in dance education and training.
Lisa J. Pinkham has designed lighting for over 200 ballets, operas, and plays. Her lighting can be seen in the repertories of many national companies. She enjoys a successful relationship with Stanton Welch AM, and has designed the lighting for many of his ballets, including Maninyas, Taiko, Tu Tu , and Falling for San Francisco Ballet; Madame Butterfly for Boston Ballet and Houston Ballet; Clear for American Ballet Theatre; and Swan Lake, Play, Cinderella, Tapestry, Marie, The Rite of Spring, Sons de L’âme, Paquita, The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, Romeo and Juliet, Zodiac, Giselle, The Nutcracker, Sylvia and Sparrow for Houston Ballet.
BEATRICE JONA AFFRON Guest Conductor
Beatrice Jona Affron joined Philadelphia Ballet (formerly Pennsylvania Ballet) as the assistant conductor in 1993. Four years later, she became the company’s music director. In Philadelphia, Beatrice has conducted many works by George Balanchine and a large repertoire of full- length works, including Giselle, Romeo and Juliet, and The Sleeping Beauty. In 2004, she led the world premiere of Christopher Wheeldon’s Swan Lake . Born and raised in New York City and a graduate of Yale University, Beatrice studied conducting with Robert Spano and with Pascal Verrot at the New England Conservatory, where she later served on the faculty. She led the national tour of Philip Glass’ Les Enfants Terribles and received international attention while conducting the world premiere of Glass’s Galileo . Beatrice’s other engagements include Miss Havisham’s Fire with Opera Theatre Saint Louis, Lucie de Lammermoor with Glimmerglass Opera, Akhnaten and Die Fledermaus with Boston Lyric Opera. With Philadelphia Ballet, Beatrice has performed at the Kennedy Center, New York City Center and the National Arts Center of Canada. She has appeared as a guest conductor with Atlanta Ballet, Boston Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, Miami City Ballet, Nashville Ballet, and Oklahoma City Ballet. Beatrice is delighted to make her debut with Houston Ballet.
STANTON WELCH AM Choreographer, Velocity
Stanton Welch AM was born in Melbourne to Marilyn Jones OBE and Garth Welch AM, two of Australia’s most gifted dancers of the 1960s and 1970s. He joined The Australian Ballet, rising to the rank of leading soloist and performing various principal roles, before serving as Resident Choreographer. During his decades long career, Welch has choreographed over 100 works including audience favorites Madame Butterfly (1995), Clear (2001), and Divergence (1994). His work can be seen in the repertoire of The Australian Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, and Birmingham Royal Ballet, among others. In July 2003, Welch was appointed Artistic Director of Houston Ballet, America’s fourth- largest ballet company. Welch has choreographed more than 40 works for Houston Ballet, including Marie (2009) and spectacular stagings of Swan Lake (2006), La Bayadère (2010), Romeo and Juliet (2015), Giselle (2016), The Nutcracker (2016), Sylvia (2019), and the upcoming Raymonda (2025). Developing Houston Ballet into a choreographic Eden, Welch has commissioned over 30 works from notable choreographers such as Mark Morris, Aszure Barton, Dwight Rhoden, Trey McIntyre, and Justin Peck, while expanding the company’s
CASSIA FARLEY Costume Designer, Four Loves
Cassia Farley is a former professional ballet dancer, now mother and costume designer. She is originally from Dallas, Texas, and underwent her ballet training in Dallas and New York City and had a performance career with Ballet Austin. Cassia also appeared as a performer at Grace Farms and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and both performed and spoke for Works and Process at the Guggenheim. She began her costuming work by curating for Silas Farley’s works, then moved into designing costumes for dance. Her work has been worn by The Washington Ballet, Houston Ballet, and New York City Ballet. Cassia is the proud wife of Silas Farley and mother to their son Asa.
22 HOUSTON BALLET
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