10 Questions with Kate Iverson

Meet board member Kate Iverson!

Kate was an honoree in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal 2011 40 Under 40 and we here at Tempo give her another huge congratulations!  Of course the recognition was no surprise to us, we've been thanking our lucky stars since the day she walked through the door, but we thought this would be the perfect time for you to get to know Kate.  Be sure to say hi at our next event!*

*She may or may not be wearing laser glasses.

1. What’s your sign?

 Cancer

2. Favorite opera?

La bohème

3. If you could have any other job in the world, what would it be?

I think I’d make a great filthy rich jetsetter.

4. What is your favorite dessert?

Salty Caramel Ice Cream from Meritage

5. If you had to describe yourself using three words, what would they be? 

OMG, LOL, WTF.

6. What is your favorite holiday?

Christmas, hands down.

7. What was your first opera?

Tosca

8. If they made a movie of your life, what would it be about and which actor would you want to play you? Hopefully it would be a musical, directed by Joss Whedon.

9. Are you a morning or night person?

 Both. Sleep is for the weak.

10. What’s your favorite thing to do in the winter?

 Avoid going outside.

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Become a Tempo Board or Committee Member!

Tempo is a member-driven organization, and we depend on dedicated members just like you to serve as Tempo's leaders!  They are responsible for promoting Tempo in the community, planning events, and keeping the Tempo audience informed of what's going on.  New board and committee member recruiting is taking place now through April 1, 2011.  If you're interested in a leadership role with Tempo, read on.

Board Members

Directors serve as officers, committee chairs and members at large, in addition to joining one of Tempo's three committees: marketing, membership, or programming. Serving as a director is an excellent way to learn about Minnesota Opera, and board members have a unique opportunity to work with opera staff and impact Tempo as an organization.

What do directors do?

• Board directors are Tempo members! If you're not a member now, that's okay, but you must have an active membership at the time of your first board or committee meeting.
• Attend monthly board and committee meetings.  The board meets on the first Tuesday of every month at 6:00 p.m. at the Minnesota Opera Center, and committees conduct separate monthly meetings.  (Typically a time commitment of 2 - 4 hours per month.)
• Carry out board and committee related work.  The type of work and time needed depends on your position on the board and your committee, but not everything happens in a meeting!
• Communicate regularly with board and committee members between meetings.
• Attend Tempo's events!  Ok, this is an easy one.  Tempo plans fantastic events!  Who wouldn't want to be a part of them!?

Committee Members

Committee members serve on one of Tempo's committees but are not on the Tempo board and do not attend board meetings.  Serving as a committee member is a great way to be more involved with Tempo, but with less of a time commitment.  Committee members must also be Tempo members, attend monthly committee meetings, carry out committee related work, and attend Tempo events.

Applications are due April 1, 2011 and interviews will be conducted in mid- to late-April.  The board will vote on candidates at its May 3, 2011 meeting, and candidates will be informed of the results shortly thereafter.

New leadership terms begin July 1, 2011; the first board meeting for new directors will be July 5, 2011.  If you have any questions or would like application materials, please email us today at tempo@mnopera.org!

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Tempo Board Member Kate Iverson and Minnesota Opera Marketing and Communications Director Lani Willis Honored on 40 Under Forty List

Congrats to our very own Kate Iverson and Lani Willis who both were honored to be a part of Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal's 40 Under Forty 2011 class!  These two movers and shakers were selected from more than 400 nominations ranging from artists to entrepreneurs to lawyers.  Click here to see the full list of honorees.  Congrats again, ladies!

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10 Questions with Kristin Matejcek

Meet Kristin Matejcek, Marketing Associate

1. What’s your sign?

Taurus the bull.

2. Favorite opera?  

Grapes of Wrath.

3. If you could have any other job in the world, what would it be?  

I used to say that I would like to be a photographer for National Geographic.  Now I would say that I would like to run a foundation and be able to give grants to the causes and organizations that I believe in.

4. What is your favorite dessert?  

Strawberries and Champagne.

5. If you had to describe yourself using three words, what would they be?  

Determined, intuitive, genuine.

6. What is your favorite holiday?  

Christmas, because of the meaning of the holiday, the Christmas tree and all the parties.

7. What was your first opera?  

Tosca was my first and also the only opera I have seen twice (first time at Minnesota and second time at Seattle).

8. If they made a movie of your life, what would it be about and which actor would you want to play you?  

It would be about love, loss and life lessons.  The actor would be Kate Winslet.     

9. Are you a morning or night person?  

Neither, I am a middle of the night person.  Thanks to Insomnia I have a whole other life during the hours between 1 - 5 a.m. 

10. What’s your favorite thing to do in the winter?  

Ski and snowshoe. 

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RAP Cabaret: Un Voyage au Louvre

So, you're a Tempo member.  You've gone to Minnesota Opera productions, and Tempo events.  Now you're wondering, 'What else does my Tempo membership offer?'

We thought you'd never ask...



RAP Cabaret: Un Voyage au Louvre

Experience the art of the Louvre when Minnesota Opera's Resident Artists take you on a captivating musical tour of the world-renowned museum. Sculptures and paintings come alive in this magical evening of music, food, wine and fun!

Friday, March 18 · 6:00pm - 9:00pm

Location: Minnesota Opera Center, 620 North First Street, Minneapolis, MN 55401

Attire: French - Chic, admired but not required

Tickets: $100/Museum Guest ($50 tax deductible);
             $50/Tempo Museum Guest
Please contact Emily Skoblik, 612-342-9553, by Monday March 14 if you wish to attend.

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Comic Artists: La Traviata

Tempo and Black Hat Collective team up to bring you Comic Artists Night at the Opera.

Artist: Ken Avidor

Gypsies

Drink 1

Drink 2

Gambling

Sacrifice

Sickbed

Death Scene

Ken's Thoughts on the Experience

I really enjoyed La Traviata -- great music, singing and great sets.  Posted it on the Twin Cities Urban Sketchers blog.

Website: http://bit.ly/hWZV9s

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Artist: Melissa Kaercher

Melissa's Thoughts on the Experience

It has been years since I'd had the chance to do live drawing at all, and this evening was a marvelous opportunity.  I made an experiment of it, by attempting to do quick sketching on my laptop, using a Wacom tablet.  While I found the tablet to be too clumsy to capture the likenesses of the actors, I had a great time trying to capture the colors, textures, and moods of each scene.

Website: http://www.tinlizardproductions.com

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Artist: Maxeem Konrardy

Maxeem's Thoughts on the Experience

It was nice to sit and draw together with follow comic artists and reflect some kind of artistry back at the musicians and singers and dancers and actors.  This world could use a new Renaissance and perhaps the collaboration and "being with" diverse artists may help inspire it.  It was an absolute privilege and pleasure to be able to do something so cultural at this time and place -- anchored to traditions of drawing, comic art and opera -- but also to the "now."  Thank you for the opportunity.

Website: www.maxeem.com

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Artist: Becky Laff

Becky's Thoughts on the Experience

The performance was gorgeous, all around, and the music was incredible; but most of all the energy of so many people, so many different skills, coming together to create something so grand and so beautiful was what I found most inspirational.  This is nothing like opera!

Website: www.beckylaff.com

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Artist: Kate Saturday

Website: www.confoundedcontraption.com

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Sneak Peak! Comic Artists: La Traviata

Artwork by Ken Avidor

More to come. Stay tuned...

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10 Questions with Allan Naplan

Meet Allan Naplan, President and General Director

1. What's your sign?
Aries

2. Favorite opera?
Well now, if I told you my favorites, then there wouldn’t be any surprises left when our future season brochures came out! So, instead I’ll just play it safe and say that I'm a real sucker for the musical and dramatic emotion of Puccini's works, as well as a great fan of the beauty and musical elegance of Mozart's operas.

3. If you could have any other job in the world, what would it be?
I always wanted to play point guard for the Celtics, but I think it’s probably a little late for that. So, how about an Iron Chef on the Food Network.

4. What is your favorite dessert?
Pretty much anything that involves chocolate.

5. If you had to describe yourself using three words, what would they be?
Creative, ambitious, and often amusing (or at least I like to think so)

6. What is your favorite holiday?
My sons' birthdays.

7. What was your first opera?
The Magic Flute at the Opera Company of Boston. I was about seven years old and I recall that I didn't much care for my first opera experience. Good thing that clearly had no influence on my eventual career choice.

8. If they made a movie of your life, what would it be about and which actor would you want to play you?
The plot continues to be a work in progress, but when I asked my wife who she thought should play me, she answered without hesitation, “George Clooney”. I’m not sure if I should take that as a compliment or if it simply indicates my wife’s burning desire to meet the man?

9. Are you a morning or night person?
I used to be a night person…until I had children.

10. What's your favorite thing to do in the winter?
While I’m not an especially aggressive person, I actually find something quite exhilarating about using my snow blower. Have I revealed too much?

Related Articles:

• Allan Naplan (www.mnopera.org)
• Madison Opera general director Allan Naplan is Minnesota-bound (www.thedailypage.com)
• Allan Naplan named President of Minnesota Opera (minnesota.publicradio.org)
• Allan Naplan Named President, General Director of Minnesota Opera (www.operanews.com)
• Allan Naplan appointed by Minnesota Opera (www.madisonopera.blogspot.com)

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