Pepito (2020)
By Nicolás Lell Benavides & Marella Martin Koch
Pepito, a lonely shelter dog, misses his old family and his old life. Camila and David, young married professionals, are searching for the perfect dog. As the cracks in Camila and David's marriage deepen, Camila and Pepito form an unshakeable bond.
Commissioned by the Washington National Opera at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and first produced at the Kennedy Center during the 2018/19 season.
Nicolas Lell Benavides’ music has been praised for finding “…a way to sketch complete characters in swift sure lines…” (Anne Midgette, Washington Post) and cooking up a “jaunty score [with] touches of cabaret, musical theater and Latin dance.” (Tim Smith, OPERA NEWS). He has worked with groups such as the Washington National Opera, The Glimmerglass Festival, Nashville Opera, New Opera West, Left Coast Chamber Ensemble, Friction Quartet, and Nomad Session.
He was a fellow at the Eighth Blackbird Creative Lab and the Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music. Nicolás was the first ever Young Artist Composer in Residence at The Glimmerglass Festival.
www.nickbenavides.com
Marella Martin Koch is a librettist, playwright, and director from Los Angeles now based in New York City. She received... more
credits
released May 1, 2020
music by
Nicolás Lell Benavides
www.nicolasbenavides.com
libretto by
Marella Martin Koch
www.marellamartinkoch.com
Singers (in order of appearance):
Samuel J. Weiser, bass
Joshua Blue, tenor
Alexandra Nowakowski, soprano
Alexandra Christoforakis, mezzo-soprano
Ensemble:
Emma McCartney, flute/piccolo
Holly Hu, oboe
Max Opferkuch, clarinet/bass clarinet
Lieza Hansen, bassoon
Matthew Lee Otto, horn
Cameron Wilkins, trumpet
Aidan Ritchie, trombone
Mary LaBlanc, percussion
You Zhao, piano
Kate Outterbridge, violin
Nicholas Bentz, violin
Erica Zappia, viola
Javier Iglesias-Martín, cello
Rebecca Lawrence, double bass
Nicolás Lell Benavides, conductor
Audio
Zach Miley Productions
www.zachmiley.com
Recorded in the Alice and Eleonore Schoenfeld Symphonic Hall,
University of Southern California
Principal Donors
Alan Savada & Will Stevenson
Albuquerque Hispanic Heritage Committee
Jake Heggie
Foundation Support
Presser Foundation Graduate Music Award
Donors
Anonymous
Bryan Lin
Cindy Phillips & Thomas Martin
Dmitry Glivinskiy
Eddie Garcia
Eleanor Hooker
Ellen & Eric Choate
Gemma Peacocke
Hans & Bryn Boepple
Isabel & Philip Ebiner
Justin Muehlmeyer & Dorca Lee
Katherine Brennan
Kelley Rourke
Kindra Scharich
Linda & Gilbert Benavides
Linda & Will Schieber
Lisa Oman & Michelle Gilkey
Luke Ellard
Patricia Plude
Patrick Vaz
Rafael & Carmen St John
Richard & Sandra Koch
Rob Ainsley
Rosemary Garcia
Sabrina Skacan
Samuel St John
Stephen Grenholm
Steve Fletcher
Susan Thieme
Valerie Beidelman & John Armstrong
Valerie St John & Charles Leder
Vicki & Kevin Beidelman
Album art credit
Scott Suchman, photographer
Andrea Dorf McGray, director
A.J. Guban, lighting designer
Timm Burrow, costume designer
Washington National Opera