Curtis Opera Theatre Produces the Much-Anticipated Philadelphia Premiere of Golijov's Grammy-Winning AINADAMAR 03-01-2008 "His works arouse extraordinary enthusiasm in audiences, because they revive music's elemental powers: they have rhythms that rock the body into motion and melodies that linger in the mind." – The New Yorker "Golijov's score is amazing, in its opening distant trumpet calls, its insinuating dance rhythms, its vital command of percussion and its arrestingly beautiful arias for women's voice." – Los Angeles Times One of the most talked-about operas in years, Osvaldo Golijov's Grammy Award-winning opera Ainadamar (Fountain of Tears) receives its exhilarating Philadelphia premiere with four performances this March in a new production by the Curtis Opera Theatre. This special, first-time collaborative endeavor brings the celebrated student artists of the Curtis Opera Theatre, led by Artistic Director of Vocal Studies Mikael Eliasen, to the Perelman Theater as a part of the Kimmel Center Presents series. The Opera Company of Philadelphia, where many Curtis opera students get their first professional, onstage experience and later return in the midst of their thriving international careers, is proud to make this important new work available to its subscribers as an extension of the long-standing relationship between the two institutions. "I am so pleased that Curtis will produce the Philadelphia premiere of Ainadamar," shared composer Osvaldo Golijov. "It will be an exciting challenge for the students and a wonderful moment for the piece." The opera will be conducted by Opera Company Music Director Corrado Rovaris in his debut with the Curtis Symphony Orchestra, and the new production is staged by critically-acclaimed director Chas Rader-Shieber. Sets are designed by David Zinn, with costumes by Richard St. Clair. Ainadamar means "Fountain of Tears" in Arabic and refers to an ancient well near Granada, where the Spanish poet and playwright Federico García Lorca was assassinated by Fascist Falangist forces in 1936. Golijov's opera tells the story of Lorca's murder through the memories of the playwright's muse, Catalan actress Margarita Xirgu. Like much of Golijov's work, the opera incorporates Arab, Jewish, and flamenco idioms. The libretto was written by David Henry Hwang and translated into Spanish by the composer. Golijov wrote Ainadamar for the Tanglewood Festival, where it was premiered in 2003 under Curtis conducting alumnus Roberto Spano to universal critical acclaim. The opera's first recording was issued in 2006 by Deutsche Grammophon, conducted by Spano and featuring the cast that performed the premiere along with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. An immediate commercial and critical success, it received two 2006 Grammy Awards, for best opera recording and best classical contemporary composition. This fully staged production is sung in Spanish, and features the students of the Curtis Opera Theatre and the Curtis Symphony Orchestra joined by guest artists Adam del Monte and Andrew York on guitar, and Rolando Morales-Matos on flamenco cajón and percussion. In addition to Rader-Shieber, Zinn and St. Clair, the producing creative team features lighting designed by Mark Barton, choreography by César Abreu, sound design by Brian Mohr, and computer sound design and processing by Jeremy Flower. Tickets are still available to Ainadamar by calling Ticket Philadelphia at 215-893-1018. Subscribers to the Opera Company, Curtis Institute and Kimmel Center Presents should mention this to receive a special, discounted rate on tickets! This production is made possible by a grant from The Philadelphia Music Project, a program of the Philadelphia Center for Arts and Heritage, funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts and administered by The University of the Arts.
"His works arouse extraordinary enthusiasm in audiences, because they revive music's elemental powers: they have rhythms that rock the body into motion and melodies that linger in the mind." – The New Yorker "Golijov's score is amazing, in its opening distant trumpet calls, its insinuating dance rhythms, its vital command of percussion and its arrestingly beautiful arias for women's voice." – Los Angeles Times
"His works arouse extraordinary enthusiasm in audiences, because they revive music's elemental powers: they have rhythms that rock the body into motion and melodies that linger in the mind." – The New Yorker
"Golijov's score is amazing, in its opening distant trumpet calls, its insinuating dance rhythms, its vital command of percussion and its arrestingly beautiful arias for women's voice." – Los Angeles Times
One of the most talked-about operas in years, Osvaldo Golijov's Grammy Award-winning opera Ainadamar (Fountain of Tears) receives its exhilarating Philadelphia premiere with four performances this March in a new production by the Curtis Opera Theatre. This special, first-time collaborative endeavor brings the celebrated student artists of the Curtis Opera Theatre, led by Artistic Director of Vocal Studies Mikael Eliasen, to the Perelman Theater as a part of the Kimmel Center Presents series. The Opera Company of Philadelphia, where many Curtis opera students get their first professional, onstage experience and later return in the midst of their thriving international careers, is proud to make this important new work available to its subscribers as an extension of the long-standing relationship between the two institutions.
"I am so pleased that Curtis will produce the Philadelphia premiere of Ainadamar," shared composer Osvaldo Golijov. "It will be an exciting challenge for the students and a wonderful moment for the piece." The opera will be conducted by Opera Company Music Director Corrado Rovaris in his debut with the Curtis Symphony Orchestra, and the new production is staged by critically-acclaimed director Chas Rader-Shieber. Sets are designed by David Zinn, with costumes by Richard St. Clair.
Ainadamar means "Fountain of Tears" in Arabic and refers to an ancient well near Granada, where the Spanish poet and playwright Federico García Lorca was assassinated by Fascist Falangist forces in 1936. Golijov's opera tells the story of Lorca's murder through the memories of the playwright's muse, Catalan actress Margarita Xirgu. Like much of Golijov's work, the opera incorporates Arab, Jewish, and flamenco idioms. The libretto was written by David Henry Hwang and translated into Spanish by the composer.
Golijov wrote Ainadamar for the Tanglewood Festival, where it was premiered in 2003 under Curtis conducting alumnus Roberto Spano to universal critical acclaim. The opera's first recording was issued in 2006 by Deutsche Grammophon, conducted by Spano and featuring the cast that performed the premiere along with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. An immediate commercial and critical success, it received two 2006 Grammy Awards, for best opera recording and best classical contemporary composition.
This fully staged production is sung in Spanish, and features the students of the Curtis Opera Theatre and the Curtis Symphony Orchestra joined by guest artists Adam del Monte and Andrew York on guitar, and Rolando Morales-Matos on flamenco cajón and percussion. In addition to Rader-Shieber, Zinn and St. Clair, the producing creative team features lighting designed by Mark Barton, choreography by César Abreu, sound design by Brian Mohr, and computer sound design and processing by Jeremy Flower.
Tickets are still available to Ainadamar by calling Ticket Philadelphia at 215-893-1018. Subscribers to the Opera Company, Curtis Institute and Kimmel Center Presents should mention this to receive a special, discounted rate on tickets!
This production is made possible by a grant from The Philadelphia Music Project, a program of the Philadelphia Center for Arts and Heritage, funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts and administered by The University of the Arts.
