William Berger

The familiar voice of the Metropolitan Opera Sirius Radio Broadcasts, Berger is the author of Wagner without Fear, and Verdi with a Vengeance. He will bring a vast knowledge of the Ring, having just concluded commenting on the three recent MetropolitanRing Cycles.

John R. Hale

Professor Hale is the Director of Liberal Studies at the University of Louisville, specializing in archaeology. His PowerPoint presentation for us will be "Ring, Chalice, Sword and Spear: The Archaeology and Symbolism of Wagner's Props." Hale's presentations have received standing ovations, a rare event for lectures.

James Mulder

During his years at the Indiana University Opera Theatre and at Walt Disney Imagineering, Mulder became familiar with the special aspects of traditional Ring productions. He has translated Günter Schneider-Siemssen's book, The Stage-My Life (Die Bühne, Mein Leben), excerpts of which have been recently published by the Wagner Society of New York. He will use various computer graphic techniques, illustrating many photographs and drawings for his presentation, "Wagner's Ring: A History of Design and Technical Production " but leavened with wit.

Saul Lilienstein

Musician and music historian, Saul Lilienstein was for many years the Artistic Director and Conductor of the Harford Opera Theatre and Operetta Renaissance, both in Maryland. A familiar voice at the Smithsonian Institution, the Wagner Society of Washington, DC and the Goethe Institut, his Commentaries on CD for the Washington National Opera - including all four of the Ring Operas - are the most extensive of their kind in the English language. His topic at this symposium will be "Wagner's Orchestra."

Julia Rolwing

Among her many awards and honors, Rolwing can count being the 2007 First Place winner of the Liederkranz Award in the Wagner Division and recipient of the 2007 Evelyn Lear Young Artists Program in Washington D.C. Rolwing has just returned from a successful six-months audition tour in Germany. Her accompanist for this recital of Wagner's arias will be Lloyd Arriola.