Southwestern College The Art of Mariachi Tuesday, January 15, 2013 at 7:00pm Location: Southwestern College, Mayan Hall Theatre 900 Otay Lakes Road, Chula Vista 91910 Click Here for Parking Information Click Here for Directions

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In a wide-ranging conversation with mariachi expert Dr. Jeff Nevin, Dr. Nicolas Reveles, the Geisel Director of Education and Outreach for San Diego Opera will explore the origins of the mariachi style, its history and the most common song forms which will all be heard in Cruzar la Cara de la Luna. Illustrating the topics of discussion will be Dr. Nevin’s mariachi group at Southwestern College, Mariachi Garibaldi. Included will be an exploration of the effectiveness of the mariachi style to opera and its commonly used forms: the aria, the ensemble and the chorus. Is the use of mariachi any different from Gershwin’s use of jazz styles in Porgy and Bess? Or the use of minimalism in the operas of Philip Glass or John Adams? Come for a stimulating exchange of ideas!

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T. S. Eliot’s verse-play Murder in the Cathedral has been a staple of 20th century English literature since its publication in 1935 and was instrumental in Eliot’s nomination for and eventual winning of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1948. Murder is a work filled with poetic imagery and complex but universal ideas that explore the power of the state, faith, and a consciously accepted martyrdom. Explore the world of Eliot with Professor of English Literature Bart Thurber (USD) in conversation with Nicolas Reveles, the Geisel Director of Education and Outreach.

Reuben H. Fleet Science Center Mystery of the Nile, An Imax Film Monday, March 11, 2013 at 7:00pm Location: Eugene Heikoff and Marilyn Jacobs Heikoff Dome Theater 1875 El Prado, Balboa Park San Diego, CA 92101 Parking: Street parking on Park Boulevard; several free parking lots in Balboa Park near Science Center Click Here for Directions

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Mystery of the Nile is a breathtaking cinematic adventure that takes you on an expedition down the world’s greatest and deadliest river, the Blue Nile. For 114 days, a team of explorers led by Pasquale Scaturro and Gordon Brown face seemingly insurmountable challenges as they make their way along all 3,260 miles of the river to become the first in history to complete a full descent of the Blue Nile from source to sea. Historically, the Nile has been the center of controversy and war in the relationship between Egypt and Ethiopia, the two countries that Verdi deals with in his masterpiece, Aida. This wonderful IMAX film will give the audience a close-up look at the most significant natural resource in northeastern Africa and deep background into the contentious issues which form the basis of the love-story of the opera. After thousands of years, this mighty river is still the most important single issue in the relationship between Egypt and Ethiopia.

Zandra Rhodes “Celeste Aida”: The Heavenly Designs of Zandra Rhodes Thursday, April 4, 2013 at 7:00pm Location: San Diego Civic Theatre Beverly Sills Salon Click Here for Directions and Parking

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The colorful designs of international fashion designer Zandra Rhodes are well known to opera audiences. With Mozart’s The Magic Flute and Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers, Ms. Rhodes’ work graced the San Diego Opera stage with a look that brought new life to these standard repertory items. Aida is also a very ‘traditional’ opera, perhaps not a work that easily gives itself over to a new approach. But once more this designer has brought her unique palette to the sets and costumes of a familiar work in a brilliant burst of inspiration. In conversation with Dr. Nicolas Reveles, Zandra Rhodes will preview her designs for Aida and reveal the process which she used in creating them.

La Jolla Country Day School Introducing Ildebrando Pizzetti (Composer of Murder in the Cathedral) Tuesday, October 16, 2012 at 7:00pm Location: La Jolla Country Day School The Four Flowers Theatre 9490 Genesee Ave., La Jolla 92037 Click Here for Directions

Composer of Murder in the Cathedral (Assassinio nella cattedrale), Pizzetti’s name is practically unknown to opera-goers today. Drs. Ronald T. Shaheen, Ph.D., Musicologist and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Music at USD and Dr. Nicolas Reveles will give you a special orientation to the music of Pizzetti which is in the grand operatic tradition of Puccini but not in a style that the composer of La bohème would’ve recognized. Through the generous influence of French impressionism--composers such as Debussy and Dukas--Pizzetti made his own way into Italian opera, re-defining it for himself and for his audiences. Come and enjoy generous musical examples from Pizzetti and his Italian contemporaries as we journey into a new world of Italian lyricism.

The Cuvier Club Thomas Becket, An Unlikely Saint Tuesday, November 13, 2012 at 7:00pm Location: The Cuvier Club 7776 Eads Avenue, La Jolla 92037 Across the street from St. James by the Sea Episcopal Church Parking: Street Parking Available Click Here for Directions

Murder in the Cathedral is based on the violent murder of Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury in 1170. This was an event that stunned medieval Europe and resulted in dramatic consequences which were both immediate and far-reaching. Join Nicolas Reveles, The Geisel Director of Education and Outreach for San Diego Opera and Dr. Nancy Caciola, PhD, Associate Professor of History at UCSD and medieval historian, for a lively discussion of the assassination, the involvement of King Henry II, the cult of St. Thomas and the aftermath of this seminal event in Christian medieval history.

University of San Diego Murder in the Cathedral: The Church, The State and the Law Tuesday, November 27, 2012 at 7:00pm Location: University of San Diego Warren Auditorium, Rosalie Hill Hall 5998 Alcala Park, San Diego, 92110 Parking: Campus parking in various lots Click Here for Directions

In a lively conversation with Dr. Stephen Ferruolo, Dean of the University of San Diego Law School, Dr. Nicolas Reveles will explore the ‘other’ side of the struggle between Thomas Becket and his King, Henry II. What were the points of contention between this man of the church and his ruler? What were the legal ramifications involved in the battle between church and state? After the shocking bloodletting at the altar in the cathedral, who won, who lost, and how were church and state relations changed in the aftermath?

Congregation Beth Israel Samson & Other Biblical Heroes Tuesday, December 4, 2012 at 7:00pm Location: Congregation Beth Israel 9001 Towne Centre Drive, San Diego, CA 92122 Click Here for Directions and Parking Guest: Rabbi Michael Berk, Congregation Beth Israel

In a discussion with Rabbi Michael Berk, Dr. Nicolas Reveles explores the lives and meaning of the biblical heroes like Samson, Joshua, Joseph, David and Solomon. All of these heroes, like many of their counterparts in Greek mythology, have tragic flaws. What can we gain from the study of these characters and how are their stories useful in helping us to lead good lives? What is truly heroic…is it the big things, or the little things in life that can define us as heroic?