![[Milenski Picture]](MilenskiM_01.JPG)
Michael Milenski
General Director Long Beach Opera
by Gene Stanwyck-Stankiewicz
Michael Milenski was born in Montezuma County, Southwestern Colorado, in the Rocky Mountains. His Polish father, Ignatius M. Milenski, an attorney, was a descendent of parents from Krakow, Poland. His mother, Vivian Hall, is of English heritage.
Milenski began the study of piano at age six, and later earned his way through the University of Colorado by playing piano for dance classes. He spent his junior year in Italy, where he graduated with majors in Italian literature, language and music history. He was a doctoral candidate in Italian Studies at the University of California-Berkeley, but the operatic world across the bay proved too attractive.
Michael's interest in lyric theater eventually brought him to the San Francisco Opera where he worked in all phases of opera production. Then, at the age of 25, he produced Carmen during the 1977-78 season under the auspices of the San Jose Symphony. He also acted as coordinator and technical director.
The Long Beach Grand Opera was founded in the summer of 1978 as an operatic production company to mount Verdi's La Traviata at the Terrace Theater under Long Beach Symphony sponsorship, with Michael Milenski as General Director. However, after the successful La Traviata production, the Long Beach Symphony announced it would no longer produce operas and the Long Beach Grand Opera Association was formed in 1979 under Milenski's leadership.
On February 23,1980, as part of the on-going Polish Cultural Exhibit, in the California State Museum of Science & Industry Kinsey Auditorium, Michael Milenski presented a lecture on the subject of Polish Opera. The operatic arias were presented by Long Beach Opera performing artists Christopher Zebracki (tenor), and Katherine Van Kampen (soprano). Arias were from the Polish operas: Legenda Baltyku (Legend of the Baltic Sea) by Felix Nowowiejski, Straszny Dwor (Haunted Castle), and Halka by Stanislaw Moniuszko.During the season 1980/1983, Milenski brought Long Beach Opera productions of Madama Butterfiy, Faust, La Boheme, Rigoletto, Don Pasquale, Rossini's The Barber of Seville, and Death in Venice. The next season (1984-85) saw more chances taken with repertory. Monteverdi's The Coronation of Poppea resulted in one of this decades most interesting operatic productions. Los Angeles newspapers praised the new, intimate and daring presentations.
The productions of the 1985/1986, and 1987/1988 seasons were bold and daring. Repertory choices had gravitated to the most difficult and rarely produced operas. Finally, the Long Beach Opera attempted and successfully staged Mozart's The Abduction From the Seraglio. The performance was exciting and musically excellent. Then the Long Beach Opera valiantly took a new look at The Tales of Hoffman by Jacques Offenbach. The company also performed the original version of Ariadne auf Naxos by Strauss. Milenski also presented interesting casts, including the reunion of the great bassos Cesare Siepi and Jerome Hines in Verdi's Don Carlo.
The 1988 Long Beach Opera production, the North American premiere of Karol Szymanowski's King Roger represented the culmination of ten years of artistic development. King Roger, a rarely performed Polish opera masterpiece from the early twentieth century, had been staged only three times in the United States. Michael Milenski must be congratulated for resurrecting this thrilling, valuable score.
Milenski has continued to explore rare repertory with Krenek's Jonny Spielt Auf, Monteverdi's The Return Of Ulysses, Moore's The Ballad of Baby Doe (1989) and Schoenberg's Die Jakobleiter (1993). His practice of selecting young, upcoming singers with sound international credentials and presenting innovative staging and controversial productions has allowed the Long Beach Opera to survive.
Mr. Milenski's family life also centers around opera. His wife Ellen, and 19 year old daughter Isabel, accompany Michael to operas in other cities and countries. Mrs. Milenski is a concert pianist and a piano teacher. Isabel made her debut in Death in Venice and has appeared in several other operas.
From: Polish Americans in California, vol. II. National Center for Urban Ethnic Affairs & Polish American Historical Association. California 1995.