Press Releases Opera Company of Philadelphia Celebrates 35 Years with 2010-2011 Season Featuring Anticipated Premieres and Star Company debuts 02-03-2010 For Release On: Contact: Tracy C. GalligherFebruary 3, 2010 215-893-3600, ext. 204 galligher@operaphila.org Opera Company of Philadelphia Celebrates 35 Years With 2010-2011 Season Featuring Anticipated Premieres and Star Company Debuts Highlights include: The Company Premiere of Verdi’s Otello, featuring the OCP debuts of star voices Clifton Forbis, Norah Amsellem and Mark Delavan Gounod’s Romeo & Juliet starring real-life spouses and Academy of Vocal Arts Alumni Stephen Costello and Ailyn Pérez The return of Puccini’s Tosca after a decade, with the OCP debut of Adina Nitescu in the title role, with tenor Thiago Arancam and baritone Boris Statsenko Opera at the Perelman Series continues with Curtis Opera Theatre’s The Cunning Little Vixen and OCP's American Premiere of Phaedra featuring the return of Tamara Mumford and William Burden Philadelphia, PA: The Opera Company of Philadelphia celebrates 35 years with the opening of the 2010-2011 Season and a much-anticipated Company Premiere of Verdi’s tour-de-force Otello at the Academy of Music. Gounod’s romantic Romeo and Juliet and Puccini’s fiery Tosca are also in store for Philadelphia’s opera lovers at the Academy, and the Opera at the Perelman Series returns with a Kimmel Center Presents Curtis Opera Theatre production of Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen and OCP’s own Phaedra, an American Premiere of the 2007 composition by Hans Werner Henze. New and returning stars mark the line-up of artists for 2010-2011. “We have worked to assemble an eclectic opera season which features several major debuts that we have had planned for some time, and a mix of classic and new productions that provide a wide range of experiences for our audience,” says Opera Company Artistic Director Robert B. Driver. “And to be able to produce both a Company Premiere of a classic work on the scale of Otello and an American Premiere of an important chamber work in Henze’s Phaedra is, we feel, a very fitting way for a vibrant company to celebrate its 35th anniversary season.” Executive Director David B. Devan adds that the mix of grand opera and chamber works has proven popular with Philadelphia’s opera audiences. “Last season, the Opera at the Perelman Series was sold-out by March – we still have 200 names on a waiting list for tickets to the upcoming performances of the Curtis Opera Theatre Antony and Cleopatra. It is an exciting sign of a healthy opera community when the houses at the Academy and the Perelman are filled with audiences ready not only to experience classic repertoire, but more adventurous chamber pieces, as well.” The Opera Company’s Jack Mulroney Music Director Corrado Rovaris conducts four of the five operas in the upcoming season, including the Curtis Symphony Orchestra for the Curtis Opera Theatre production of Cunning Little Vixen. OPERA AT THE ACADEMY Giuseppe VerdiOTELLOCOMPANY PREMIEREPerformed in Italian with English translationsOctober 1, 3m, 6, 10m & 15, 2010 Opera Company of Philadelphia opens an electric season with the Company Premiere of Verdi’s tour-de-force Otello. Based on Shakespeare’s famed work and widely considered to be Verdi’s greatest opera, Otello tells the story of a slave who overcomes great obstacles to become a noble general, only to be driven to unspeakable jealousy by a scheming, envious officer in his army. Passion, political intrigue and a fatal flaw are at the center of this intense musical drama that stands at the pinnacle of grand opera experiences. Several anticipated debuts are in store. Powerhouse tenor Clifton Forbis, one of today’s foremost dramatic tenors, sings the title role, which he has performed at La Scala, Vienna State Opera and Dallas Opera. Additional recent credits include Siegmund in Die Walküre with the Metropolitan Opera and Deutsche Oper Berlin, and the title role in Tristan und Isolde with Opéra National de Paris, Lyric Opera of Chicago and Seattle Opera. Forbis shares the title role with tenor Allan Glassman, a frequent guest performer at the Metropolitan Opera, where his many recent performances include his triumph as Herod in their 2004 new production of Salome starring Karita Mattila. French soprano Norah Amsellem, who sings Violetta in La traviata this season with Vienna Staatsoper, Royal Opera Covent Garden and Munich Staatsoper, makes her role and Opera Company debut as Desdemona. Star baritone Mark Delavan, known internationally for his command of Wagner and Verdi, sings Otello’s foil, Iago. This season, Delavan sings the role of Wotan in Die Walküre for both San Francisco Opera and Deutsche Oper Berlin. This grand, classic production is led by Director Robert B. Driver, with sets designed by Paul Shortt, who created the visual riches seen in previous OCP productions including La traviata, Rigoletto and Falstaff. Costume Designer Richard St. Clair designs new costumes, with lighting scheme by Drew Billiau. Music Director Corrado Rovaris leads the Opera Company of Philadelphia Orchestra. Charles GounodROMEO & JULIETNEW PRODUCTIONPerformed in French with English translationsLast OCP performance in 1994February 11, 13m, 16, 18 & 20m, 2011 Never in the history of romance were two lovers more star-crossed than Shakespeare's passionate young Romeo and Juliet. This universal story has been adapted in countless plays and films, in popular culture and in dance, but perhaps no medium better expresses the love, longing and ultimate tragedy of this fated pair than Gounod's sweeping and supreme opera. Replete with ecstatic French melodies, this heartbreakingly beautiful production arrives just in time for Valentine’s Day. In the title roles, real-life spouses, Academy of Vocal Arts alumni and rising international stars Stephen Costello and Ailyn Pérez return home to Philadelphia. Costello and Pérez were last seen together as Rinuccio and Lauretta in OCP’s Gianni Schicchi in 2009, during which Costello learned that he was the winner of the 2009 Richard Tucker Award. Since then, Costello has gone on to headline the Richard Tucker Gala and perform in an extended run of The Merry Widow at Lyric Opera of Chicago, while Pérez has sung Leïla in The Pearl Fishers with Teatro Municipal in Chile and made her debut as Violetta in Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin’s La traviata. Baritone Marian Pop, who sang multiple roles in last season’s double-bill of Gianni Schicchi and L’enfant, sings the role of Mercutio, with mezzo-soprano Elena Belfiore making her Opera Company of Philadelphia debut as Stefano. Director Manfred Schweigkofler conceives this new production that updates the story and paints the Capulets and Montagues as dueling fashion houses in modern times. Against a backdrop of models, paparazzi and high style, Romeo and Juliet’s love for each other unfolds to its deadly conclusion. Maestro Jacques Lacombe, last seen in Philadelphia for Faust (2004) and who opened the current season leading Tosca at Royal Opera Covent Garden, returns to lead the Opera Company Orchestra. Giacomo PucciniTOSCAPerformed in Italian with English translationsLast OCP Performance in 2000April 29, May 1m, 4, 6 & 8m, 2011 From Madama Butterfly and Turandot to La bohème's Mimì, composer giant Giacomo Puccini is famous for the grace and strength of his glorious heroines. Enter Floria Tosca, a diva with flashing eyes and a jealous heart who loves only one man - Mario Cavaradossi. When he is taken as a political prisoner, his captor, Baron Scarpia, has met his match in Cavaradossi's faithful Tosca. Featuring the breathtaking Te Deum chorus and the renowned tenor anthem E lucevan le stelle, plus one of the most famed soprano arias in all of operatic repertoire, Vissi d'arte, Puccini's beloved work has not been performed by the Opera Company of Philadelphia for over ten years. Beautiful Romanian soprano Adina Nitescu sings the title role in her OCP debut. Known for her portrayal of another Puccini heroine, Madama Butterfly’s Cio-Cio San, Nitescu has performed that role with Opéra National de Paris, Moscow’s Bolshoi Theater, and Staatsoper Berlin. She is joined by Italian-Brazilian tenor Thiago Arancam in his Company debut as Cavaradossi. Arancam’s recent successes include Don José in Carmen with Washington National Opera and Cavaradossi with Frankfurt Opera. As Scarpia, formidable Russian baritone Boris Statsenko, a frequent leading artist with Moscow’s Bolshoi Theater and Deutsche Oper am Rhein with additional performance credits at Royal Opera Covent Garden, Frankfurt and Stuttgart, promises a villainous star turn, This classic, original Opera Company of Philadelphia production hails from director Jonathan Eaton and designer Boyd Ostroff, and Maestro Corrado Rovaris conducts the Opera Company Orchestra. OPERA AT THE PERELMAN Now in its third season, Opera at the Perelman Theater offers a uniquely personal platform for exciting chamber works as they come to life. Last season, this series sold out for all performances by the end of March. Three performance series are offered of two contrasting works that highlight fables and myths in the 2010-2011 Season. Kimmel Center PresentsCURTIS OPERA THEATRE’STHE CUNNING LITTLE VIXENin association with Opera Company of PhiladelphiaLeoš JanáčekNEW PRODUCTIONPerformed in Czech with English translationsLast OCP performance in 1981March 16, 18 & 20m, 2011 Humans and creatures of the forest mingle together in this whimsical opera about the circle of life. The star of the show is a clever young fox – a cunning little vixen – whom we follow on her journey through forest and town, through love and rebellion. This fresh and delightful work which Janáček based on a captivating series of comic strips has not been seen by Opera Company of Philadelphia audiences for 20 years, and is brought to life by the talented young voices of Curtis Opera Theatre. Director Emma Griffin, who led the collaborative Wozzeck in 2009 as well as Curtis Opera Theatre’s The Rake’s Progress, joins with designer David Zinn, who recently created a new Vixen for Lyric Opera of Chicago. Maestro Corrado Rovaris leads the Curtis Symphony Orchestra for this continued three-way partnership between Kimmel Center Presents, the Curtis Opera Theatre, and the Opera Company of Philadelphia at the Perelman Theater. Hans Werner HenzePHAEDRAAMERICAN PREMIERENEW PRODUCTIONPerformed in German with English translationsJune 3, 5m & 8, 2011 Composed in 2007, this arresting two-act opera by German composer Hans Werner Henze is based on the classic Greek myth of Phaedra, wife of Theseus, the Athenian King who vanquished the dreaded Minotaur. Phaedra's forbidden and unrequited love for her step-son, Hippolyt, embroils her in a tragic battle between feuding goddesses Aphrodite and Artemis for his allegiance, and ultimately results in Hippolyt’s demise at his father's hand and Phaedra's death at her own. In a review of Phaedra's 2007 world premiere at the Berlin Staatsoper, the New York Times remarked, "Henze's essential outlook remains modernistic, yet the music has a consistent rhythmic vitality and often an otherworldly beauty that is hard to resist." Starring in the title role is mezzo-soprano Tamara Mumford, last seen in the title role of The Rape of Lucretia (2009) with the Opera Company of Philadelphia. Recent roles include Ottavia in L’incorinazione di Poppea with Glyndebourne Festival and BBC Proms, and the title role in Dido and Aeneas with Glimmerglass Opera. As Hippolyt, tenor William Burden returns after co-starring with Mumford in Lucretia in 2009. A Philadelphia favorite, Burden’s credits include leading role performances with the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera and Lyric Opera of Chicago, and later this season he stars as Dodge in the World Premiere of Amelia with Seattle Opera. Making his Company debut as Artemis is countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo. A 2009 Grand Finals Winner of the Metropolitan Opera Auditions, he has performed with Glimmerglass Opera, Cleveland Orchestra and the Seattle Opera Young Artists Program, and sings the role of Armindo in this season’s production of Partenope with New York City Opera. Soprano Elizabeth Reiter, a Curtis Institute of Music artist whose performance credits include Zerlina in Don Giovanni under Maestro James Levine at the Tanglewood Music Festival and the role of Amor in the 2010 Opera Company of Philadelphia production of Orphée et Eurydice, sings the role of Aphrodite. The role of Minotauros is sung by bass-baritone Jeremy Milner, an Academy of Vocal Arts artist who was featured in multiple roles in the 2009 OCP double-bill of L’enfant and Gianni Schicchi. Milner has performance credits with San Francisco and Arizona Operas, and sings the role of the Doctor in La traviata in spring 2010 with the Opera Company. This new production is conceived by Artistic Director Robert B. Driver with designer Philippe Amand, who also creates the June 2010 new production of Orphée et Eurydice for the Opera at the Perelman Series. Jack Mulroney Music Director Corrado Rovaris conducts. CASTING Giuseppe VerdiOTELLOCOMPANY PREMIEREPerformed in Italian with English translationsOctober 1, 3m, 6, 10m & 15, 2010 Otello Clifton Forbis* (Oct. 1, 6, 10m & 15) Allan Glassman* (Oct. 3m) Desdemona Norah Amsellem* Iago Mark Delavan* Conductor Corrado RovarisDirector Robert B. DriverSet Design Paul ShorttCostume Design Richard St. ClairLighting Design Drew Billiau Charles GounodROMEO & JULIETNEW PRODUCTIONPerformed in French with English translationsLast OCP performance in 1994February 11, 13m, 16, 18 & 20m, 2011 Romeo Stephen Costello Juliet Ailyn Pérez Mercutio Marian Pop Stéphano Elena Belfiore* Conductor Jacques LacombeDirector Manfred Schweigkofler*Lighting Design Drew Billiau Giacomo PucciniTOSCAPerformed in Italian with English translationsLast OCP Performance in 2000April 29, May 1m, 4, 6 & 8m, 2011 Tosca Adina Nitescu* Cavaradossi Thiago Arancam* Scarpia Boris Statsenko* Conductor Corrado RovarisDirector Jonathan EatonSet Design Boyd OstroffLighting Design Drew Billiau Kimmel Center PresentsCURTIS OPERA THEATRE’STHE CUNNING LITTLE VIXENLeoš JanáčekNEW PRODUCTIONPerformed in Czech with English translationsLast OCP performance in 1981March 16, 18 & 20m, 2011 Conductor Corrado RovarisDirector Emma GriffinSet & Light Designer David Zinn Hans Werner HenzePHAEDRAAMERICAN PREMIERENEW PRODUCTIONPerformed in German with English translationsJune 3, 5m & 8, 2011 Phaedra Tamara Mumford Hippolyt William Burden Artemis Anthony Roth Costanzo* Aphrodite Elizabeth Reiter Minotauros Jeremy Milner Conductor Corrado RovarisDirector Robert B. DriverSet & Light Designer Philippe Amand * Denotes Opera Company of Philadelphia debut ADDITIONAL OPERA COMPANY INFORMATION: Otello, Romeo & Juliet and Tosca take place at The Academy of Music, Broad and Locust Streets. Curtis Opera Theatre’s The Cunning Little Vixen and OCP’s Phaedra take place at the Perelman Theater at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, Broad and Spruce Streets. Performance times: Wednesdays at 7:30pm; Fridays at 8:00pm; Sunday matinees at 2:30pm. To subscribe to Opera at the Academy, Opera at the Perelman, or a full-five series, call Opera Company Subscriber Services at 215-732-8400 or visit www.operaphila.org. Available remaining single tickets go on sale in August 2010. US Airways is the official airline of the Opera Company. YAMAHA is the official piano of the Opera Company of Philadelphia. Hyatt at the Bellevue is the official hotel of the Opera Company. Burdumy Motors Incorporated is the official automotive dealership of the Opera Company. The Opera Company of Philadelphia is supported by major grants from The William Penn Foundation, The Pew Charitable Trusts and The Lenfest Foundation. Additional support is provided by Independence Foundation, Jacob Burns Foundation, Otto Haas Charitable Trust #2, and Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation. The Opera Company of Philadelphia receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. -##-
Press Releases
For Release On: Contact: Tracy C. GalligherFebruary 3, 2010 215-893-3600, ext. 204 galligher@operaphila.org
Opera Company of Philadelphia Celebrates 35 Years With 2010-2011 Season Featuring Anticipated Premieres and Star Company Debuts
Highlights include:
The Company Premiere of Verdi’s Otello, featuring the OCP debuts of star voices Clifton Forbis, Norah Amsellem and Mark Delavan
Gounod’s Romeo & Juliet starring real-life spouses and Academy of Vocal Arts Alumni Stephen Costello and Ailyn Pérez
The return of Puccini’s Tosca after a decade, with the OCP debut of Adina Nitescu in the title role, with tenor Thiago Arancam and baritone Boris Statsenko
Opera at the Perelman Series continues with Curtis Opera Theatre’s The Cunning Little Vixen and OCP's American Premiere of Phaedra featuring the return of Tamara Mumford and William Burden
Philadelphia, PA: The Opera Company of Philadelphia celebrates 35 years with the opening of the 2010-2011 Season and a much-anticipated Company Premiere of Verdi’s tour-de-force Otello at the Academy of Music. Gounod’s romantic Romeo and Juliet and Puccini’s fiery Tosca are also in store for Philadelphia’s opera lovers at the Academy, and the Opera at the Perelman Series returns with a Kimmel Center Presents Curtis Opera Theatre production of Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen and OCP’s own Phaedra, an American Premiere of the 2007 composition by Hans Werner Henze.
New and returning stars mark the line-up of artists for 2010-2011. “We have worked to assemble an eclectic opera season which features several major debuts that we have had planned for some time, and a mix of classic and new productions that provide a wide range of experiences for our audience,” says Opera Company Artistic Director Robert B. Driver. “And to be able to produce both a Company Premiere of a classic work on the scale of Otello and an American Premiere of an important chamber work in Henze’s Phaedra is, we feel, a very fitting way for a vibrant company to celebrate its 35th anniversary season.”
Executive Director David B. Devan adds that the mix of grand opera and chamber works has proven popular with Philadelphia’s opera audiences. “Last season, the Opera at the Perelman Series was sold-out by March – we still have 200 names on a waiting list for tickets to the upcoming performances of the Curtis Opera Theatre Antony and Cleopatra. It is an exciting sign of a healthy opera community when the houses at the Academy and the Perelman are filled with audiences ready not only to experience classic repertoire, but more adventurous chamber pieces, as well.”
The Opera Company’s Jack Mulroney Music Director Corrado Rovaris conducts four of the five operas in the upcoming season, including the Curtis Symphony Orchestra for the Curtis Opera Theatre production of Cunning Little Vixen.
OPERA AT THE ACADEMY
Giuseppe VerdiOTELLOCOMPANY PREMIEREPerformed in Italian with English translationsOctober 1, 3m, 6, 10m & 15, 2010
Opera Company of Philadelphia opens an electric season with the Company Premiere of Verdi’s tour-de-force Otello. Based on Shakespeare’s famed work and widely considered to be Verdi’s greatest opera, Otello tells the story of a slave who overcomes great obstacles to become a noble general, only to be driven to unspeakable jealousy by a scheming, envious officer in his army. Passion, political intrigue and a fatal flaw are at the center of this intense musical drama that stands at the pinnacle of grand opera experiences.
Several anticipated debuts are in store. Powerhouse tenor Clifton Forbis, one of today’s foremost dramatic tenors, sings the title role, which he has performed at La Scala, Vienna State Opera and Dallas Opera. Additional recent credits include Siegmund in Die Walküre with the Metropolitan Opera and Deutsche Oper Berlin, and the title role in Tristan und Isolde with Opéra National de Paris, Lyric Opera of Chicago and Seattle Opera.
Forbis shares the title role with tenor Allan Glassman, a frequent guest performer at the Metropolitan Opera, where his many recent performances include his triumph as Herod in their 2004 new production of Salome starring Karita Mattila.
French soprano Norah Amsellem, who sings Violetta in La traviata this season with Vienna Staatsoper, Royal Opera Covent Garden and Munich Staatsoper, makes her role and Opera Company debut as Desdemona. Star baritone Mark Delavan, known internationally for his command of Wagner and Verdi, sings Otello’s foil, Iago. This season, Delavan sings the role of Wotan in Die Walküre for both San Francisco Opera and Deutsche Oper Berlin.
This grand, classic production is led by Director Robert B. Driver, with sets designed by Paul Shortt, who created the visual riches seen in previous OCP productions including La traviata, Rigoletto and Falstaff. Costume Designer Richard St. Clair designs new costumes, with lighting scheme by Drew Billiau. Music Director Corrado Rovaris leads the Opera Company of Philadelphia Orchestra.
Charles GounodROMEO & JULIETNEW PRODUCTIONPerformed in French with English translationsLast OCP performance in 1994February 11, 13m, 16, 18 & 20m, 2011
Never in the history of romance were two lovers more star-crossed than Shakespeare's passionate young Romeo and Juliet. This universal story has been adapted in countless plays and films, in popular culture and in dance, but perhaps no medium better expresses the love, longing and ultimate tragedy of this fated pair than Gounod's sweeping and supreme opera. Replete with ecstatic French melodies, this heartbreakingly beautiful production arrives just in time for Valentine’s Day.
In the title roles, real-life spouses, Academy of Vocal Arts alumni and rising international stars Stephen Costello and Ailyn Pérez return home to Philadelphia. Costello and Pérez were last seen together as Rinuccio and Lauretta in OCP’s Gianni Schicchi in 2009, during which Costello learned that he was the winner of the 2009 Richard Tucker Award. Since then, Costello has gone on to headline the Richard Tucker Gala and perform in an extended run of The Merry Widow at Lyric Opera of Chicago, while Pérez has sung Leïla in The Pearl Fishers with Teatro Municipal in Chile and made her debut as Violetta in Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin’s La traviata.
Baritone Marian Pop, who sang multiple roles in last season’s double-bill of Gianni Schicchi and L’enfant, sings the role of Mercutio, with mezzo-soprano Elena Belfiore making her Opera Company of Philadelphia debut as Stefano.
Director Manfred Schweigkofler conceives this new production that updates the story and paints the Capulets and Montagues as dueling fashion houses in modern times. Against a backdrop of models, paparazzi and high style, Romeo and Juliet’s love for each other unfolds to its deadly conclusion. Maestro Jacques Lacombe, last seen in Philadelphia for Faust (2004) and who opened the current season leading Tosca at Royal Opera Covent Garden, returns to lead the Opera Company Orchestra.
Giacomo PucciniTOSCAPerformed in Italian with English translationsLast OCP Performance in 2000April 29, May 1m, 4, 6 & 8m, 2011
From Madama Butterfly and Turandot to La bohème's Mimì, composer giant Giacomo Puccini is famous for the grace and strength of his glorious heroines. Enter Floria Tosca, a diva with flashing eyes and a jealous heart who loves only one man - Mario Cavaradossi. When he is taken as a political prisoner, his captor, Baron Scarpia, has met his match in Cavaradossi's faithful Tosca. Featuring the breathtaking Te Deum chorus and the renowned tenor anthem E lucevan le stelle, plus one of the most famed soprano arias in all of operatic repertoire, Vissi d'arte, Puccini's beloved work has not been performed by the Opera Company of Philadelphia for over ten years.
Beautiful Romanian soprano Adina Nitescu sings the title role in her OCP debut. Known for her portrayal of another Puccini heroine, Madama Butterfly’s Cio-Cio San, Nitescu has performed that role with Opéra National de Paris, Moscow’s Bolshoi Theater, and Staatsoper Berlin. She is joined by Italian-Brazilian tenor Thiago Arancam in his Company debut as Cavaradossi. Arancam’s recent successes include Don José in Carmen with Washington National Opera and Cavaradossi with Frankfurt Opera. As Scarpia, formidable Russian baritone Boris Statsenko, a frequent leading artist with Moscow’s Bolshoi Theater and Deutsche Oper am Rhein with additional performance credits at Royal Opera Covent Garden, Frankfurt and Stuttgart, promises a villainous star turn, This classic, original Opera Company of Philadelphia production hails from director Jonathan Eaton and designer Boyd Ostroff, and Maestro Corrado Rovaris conducts the Opera Company Orchestra.
OPERA AT THE PERELMAN
Now in its third season, Opera at the Perelman Theater offers a uniquely personal platform for exciting chamber works as they come to life. Last season, this series sold out for all performances by the end of March. Three performance series are offered of two contrasting works that highlight fables and myths in the 2010-2011 Season.
Kimmel Center PresentsCURTIS OPERA THEATRE’STHE CUNNING LITTLE VIXENin association with Opera Company of PhiladelphiaLeoš JanáčekNEW PRODUCTIONPerformed in Czech with English translationsLast OCP performance in 1981March 16, 18 & 20m, 2011
Humans and creatures of the forest mingle together in this whimsical opera about the circle of life. The star of the show is a clever young fox – a cunning little vixen – whom we follow on her journey through forest and town, through love and rebellion. This fresh and delightful work which Janáček based on a captivating series of comic strips has not been seen by Opera Company of Philadelphia audiences for 20 years, and is brought to life by the talented young voices of Curtis Opera Theatre. Director Emma Griffin, who led the collaborative Wozzeck in 2009 as well as Curtis Opera Theatre’s The Rake’s Progress, joins with designer David Zinn, who recently created a new Vixen for Lyric Opera of Chicago. Maestro Corrado Rovaris leads the Curtis Symphony Orchestra for this continued three-way partnership between Kimmel Center Presents, the Curtis Opera Theatre, and the Opera Company of Philadelphia at the Perelman Theater.
Hans Werner HenzePHAEDRAAMERICAN PREMIERENEW PRODUCTIONPerformed in German with English translationsJune 3, 5m & 8, 2011
Composed in 2007, this arresting two-act opera by German composer Hans Werner Henze is based on the classic Greek myth of Phaedra, wife of Theseus, the Athenian King who vanquished the dreaded Minotaur. Phaedra's forbidden and unrequited love for her step-son, Hippolyt, embroils her in a tragic battle between feuding goddesses Aphrodite and Artemis for his allegiance, and ultimately results in Hippolyt’s demise at his father's hand and Phaedra's death at her own. In a review of Phaedra's 2007 world premiere at the Berlin Staatsoper, the New York Times remarked, "Henze's essential outlook remains modernistic, yet the music has a consistent rhythmic vitality and often an otherworldly beauty that is hard to resist."
Starring in the title role is mezzo-soprano Tamara Mumford, last seen in the title role of The Rape of Lucretia (2009) with the Opera Company of Philadelphia. Recent roles include Ottavia in L’incorinazione di Poppea with Glyndebourne Festival and BBC Proms, and the title role in Dido and Aeneas with Glimmerglass Opera. As Hippolyt, tenor William Burden returns after co-starring with Mumford in Lucretia in 2009. A Philadelphia favorite, Burden’s credits include leading role performances with the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera and Lyric Opera of Chicago, and later this season he stars as Dodge in the World Premiere of Amelia with Seattle Opera.
Making his Company debut as Artemis is countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo. A 2009 Grand Finals Winner of the Metropolitan Opera Auditions, he has performed with Glimmerglass Opera, Cleveland Orchestra and the Seattle Opera Young Artists Program, and sings the role of Armindo in this season’s production of Partenope with New York City Opera. Soprano Elizabeth Reiter, a Curtis Institute of Music artist whose performance credits include Zerlina in Don Giovanni under Maestro James Levine at the Tanglewood Music Festival and the role of Amor in the 2010 Opera Company of Philadelphia production of Orphée et Eurydice, sings the role of Aphrodite. The role of Minotauros is sung by bass-baritone Jeremy Milner, an Academy of Vocal Arts artist who was featured in multiple roles in the 2009 OCP double-bill of L’enfant and Gianni Schicchi. Milner has performance credits with San Francisco and Arizona Operas, and sings the role of the Doctor in La traviata in spring 2010 with the Opera Company.
This new production is conceived by Artistic Director Robert B. Driver with designer Philippe Amand, who also creates the June 2010 new production of Orphée et Eurydice for the Opera at the Perelman Series. Jack Mulroney Music Director Corrado Rovaris conducts.
CASTING
Otello Clifton Forbis* (Oct. 1, 6, 10m & 15) Allan Glassman* (Oct. 3m) Desdemona Norah Amsellem* Iago Mark Delavan*
Conductor Corrado RovarisDirector Robert B. DriverSet Design Paul ShorttCostume Design Richard St. ClairLighting Design Drew Billiau
Romeo Stephen Costello Juliet Ailyn Pérez Mercutio Marian Pop Stéphano Elena Belfiore*
Conductor Jacques LacombeDirector Manfred Schweigkofler*Lighting Design Drew Billiau
Tosca Adina Nitescu* Cavaradossi Thiago Arancam* Scarpia Boris Statsenko*
Conductor Corrado RovarisDirector Jonathan EatonSet Design Boyd OstroffLighting Design Drew Billiau
Kimmel Center PresentsCURTIS OPERA THEATRE’STHE CUNNING LITTLE VIXENLeoš JanáčekNEW PRODUCTIONPerformed in Czech with English translationsLast OCP performance in 1981March 16, 18 & 20m, 2011
Conductor Corrado RovarisDirector Emma GriffinSet & Light Designer David Zinn
Phaedra Tamara Mumford Hippolyt William Burden Artemis Anthony Roth Costanzo* Aphrodite Elizabeth Reiter Minotauros Jeremy Milner
Conductor Corrado RovarisDirector Robert B. DriverSet & Light Designer Philippe Amand
* Denotes Opera Company of Philadelphia debut
ADDITIONAL OPERA COMPANY INFORMATION:
Otello, Romeo & Juliet and Tosca take place at The Academy of Music, Broad and Locust Streets. Curtis Opera Theatre’s The Cunning Little Vixen and OCP’s Phaedra take place at the Perelman Theater at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, Broad and Spruce Streets.
Performance times: Wednesdays at 7:30pm; Fridays at 8:00pm; Sunday matinees at 2:30pm.
To subscribe to Opera at the Academy, Opera at the Perelman, or a full-five series, call Opera Company Subscriber Services at 215-732-8400 or visit www.operaphila.org. Available remaining single tickets go on sale in August 2010.
US Airways is the official airline of the Opera Company. YAMAHA is the official piano of the Opera Company of Philadelphia. Hyatt at the Bellevue is the official hotel of the Opera Company. Burdumy Motors Incorporated is the official automotive dealership of the Opera Company. The Opera Company of Philadelphia is supported by major grants from The William Penn Foundation, The Pew Charitable Trusts and The Lenfest Foundation. Additional support is provided by Independence Foundation, Jacob Burns Foundation, Otto Haas Charitable Trust #2, and Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation. The Opera Company of Philadelphia receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
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