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Annapolis Opera Closes Season With “Romantic Divas and Amorous Dons”
Annapolis Opera’s 36th season concludes with Romantic Divas and Amorous Dons on May 9 at 8 p.m. at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts. Maestro Ron Gretz and the Annapolis Opera Chamber Orchestra will accompany six outstanding singers in a celebration of spring and love featuring some of opera’s most beloved romantic arias, duets, and ensembles.
Highlights will include Je veux vivre from Gounod’s Romeo et Juliette, O Mimi, tu piu non torni from Puccini’s La Boheme, the Jewel Song from Gounod’s Faust, De’ miei bollenti spiriti from Verdi’s La Traviata, and Bruderlein, Bruderlein und Schwesterlein from Strauss’ De Fledermaus.
Featured artists are:
• Elisabeth Turchi, soprano, an audience favorite in both Europe and the United States who has performed in Rome, Budapest, and Vienna as well as at the Pittsburg Opera and New York City’s Gotham Chamber Opera.
• Sara Stewart, soprano, a frequent performer in Baltimore Opera and other regional opera productions who was a soloist in Annapolis Opera’s production of Vienna Dreams.
• Diana Fox, mezzo-soprano, who made her international operatic debut at the Bolshoi Opera opposite Jerome Hines and who has been featured on radio in both Russia and the U.S.
• Richard Novak, tenor, who has performed with Opera Carolina, Chautauqua Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Wichita Grand Opera, and The Living Opera in a wide range of roles. He starred as Turiddu in Annapolis Opera’s production of Cavalleria Rusticana.
• Neil Darling, tenor, who has appeared with Amici Opera, the Bethesda Music Festival, and Center City Opera.
• Thomas Beard, baritone, who thrilled Annapolis audiences as Tonio in this season’s production of Paglacci, is a Placido Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program graduate who has sung extensively in the U.S., Europe, and Australia.
Tickets for Romantic Divas and Amorous Dons are $48/$40 and are available now by calling the Maryland Hall ticket office at 410-280-5640 or visiting www.annapolisopera.org. The full program and biographies of the singers are also available at www.annapolisopera.org.
CONTACT: Annapolis Opera Office admin@annapolisopera.org 410-267-8135
Annapolis Opera Vocal Competition Winners
The 21st Annual Annapolis Opera Vocal Competition culminated on Sunday, February 8, when eight singers chosen from a pool of over 130 applicants took the stage at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts. They vied for prizes totaling more than $10,000.00. An audience that almost filled the house heard eight truly operatic voices. The Grand Prize went to baritone Aaron Agulay, whose performance of "O Carlo ascolta" from Verdi's Don Carlos was riveting. Mr. Agulay also received the Conductor/Director Award and was the overwhelming audience favorite, which gave him the "Audience Choice Award." Tenor Dominic Armstrong won the Second Prize. His soliloquy from Britten's Peter Grimes was gripping. Soprano Brandie Sutton won the Third Prize for her lovely performance of "Quando m'en vo'" from Puccini's La Bohème, and a stirring rendition of "Da tempeste il legno infronto" from Handel's Giulio Cesare. The Col. Harry Lindauer Memorial Award was presented to Annapolis Opera favorite, soprano Danielle Talamantes. The Hughes Award went to soprano Erin Sanzero, whose performance of "I Am the Wife of Mao Tse-Tung" from Adams's opera Nixon in China was an unusual choice. Three study awards, which were not ranked were given: soprano Lisa Williamson received the Links of Annapolis Study Award; bass Evan Boyer received the Severn Town Club Study Award; and soprano Youna Jang received the Todd Duncan Memorial Study Award. The audience agreed that they had enjoyed an unforgettable afternoon of great performances. For more information, contact Annapolis Opera at 410-267-8135 or visit our website at www.annapolis.org
“Buddy, Can You Spare an . . . Opera?
Opera tickets are expensive, especially during tough economic times. Annapolis Opera is ready to help, sponsoring a lottery that will provide lucky winners with $75 seats for just $25.
The Opera will offer 30 Section A seats—the best in the house—for its premiere performance at 8 p.m. on March 13 of Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana and Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci. An on-line lottery will be held during each of the three weeks leading up to the opera performance. Five lottery winners each week may purchase up to two $75 tickets at a special price of $25 each.
The on-line ticket lottery will be held on February 23, March 2, and March 9 until 11:59 p.m. The lottery entry form can be found on the Annapolis opera website, www.annapolisopera.org. Winners of each weekly lottery will be notified by 1 p.m. on the Tuesday following the lottery and tickets must be purchased by the following Thursday.
Annapolis Opera’s fully staged production of Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci features a double cast of outstanding professional signers. They will be accompanied by the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Annapolis Opera’s artistic director, Maestro Ron Gretz. Both operas will be sung in Italian with English surtitles.
Performances are at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts in Annapolis on Friday, March 13, at 8 p.m. and March 15, at 3 p.m. Lottery tickets only apply to the Friday night premiere performance. Information on singers and ticket prices is at www.annapolisopera.org.
Annapolis Opera Auditions for 2009-10 Season
Annapolis Opera is holding auditions for its 37th season. Applications will be available Monday, January 12, 2009 with a closing date of Friday, February 13 2009. Singers are needed for three concerts of selected arias and a fully staged production of Puccini’s Tosca, sung in Italian.
Auditions will be held at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts in Annapolis on Friday, April 3, 2009 and Saturday, April 4, 2009 and at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia on Friday, April 24, 2009 and Saturday, April 25, 2009. While there are no residency restrictions, professional singers from Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, DC, are especially encouraged to apply.
Auditions are by appointment only. Applicants must submit an application on-line (preferred) or by mail. Application requirements and an application form are available on the Annapolis Opera website at www.annapolisopera.org. Audition appointments are limited and will be assigned in the order completed and approved applications are received. Successful applicants will be notified of an audition place and time no later than March 3.
Annapolis Opera Selects Vocal Competition Judges
The 21st Annual Annapolis Opera Vocal Competition judges are among the most respected educators and performers in the field of opera. The competition is in two parts with a different panel of judges adjudicating each part. The preliminary round judges will be: Professor Laura Mann from George Mason University, a well-known soprano and a widely experienced vocal teacher and adjudicator; celebrated tenor Gregory Hopkins, Artistic Director of the Harlem Opera Theater; and much admired mezzo-soprano Valerie Eichelberger, Coordinator of Voice at Howard University and a performer of great versatility. The adjudicators for the second part of the competition, the finals concert on February 8, 2009, will be: Dr. Molly Donnelly, Professor of Voice at Montgomery College and a widely recognized adjudicator and performer; Maestro Ronald J. Gretz, Annapolis Opera's Artistic Director and Conductor; and internationally acclaimed soprano Linda Mabbs, professor of voice at the University of Maryland, College Park.
The preliminary round of the vocal competition is closed to the public, but the final round is open to everyone and is free. It will be held on Sunday, February 8, 2009 beginning at 2:00 PM at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts. For further information please call 410-267-8135 or send a message to vocalcomp@annapolisopera.org. Additional information about Annapolis Opera can be found at www.annapolisopera.org.
ANNAPOLIS OPERA OFFERS “BEL CANTO BY CANDLELIGHT” FOR THE HOLIDAYS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 11, 2008
Annapolis Opera presents a concert of Bel Canto, or “beautiful singing,” to welcome the holiday season on Sunday, December 7, at 3:00 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in Annapolis.
The candlelight concert replaces Mozart by Candlelight, which Annapolis Opera presented for fifteen years. “As wonderful as Mozart’s operatic music is,” said Leah Solat, chair of the Opera’s Artistic Committee, “we wanted to give our audience an opportunity to hear even more wonderful arias from a wider range of composers.”
“The concert will feature arias by Rossini, Donizetti, and Bellini, all masters of the bel canto style of opera, sung by five of the opera world’s rising stars,” added Greg Stiverson, president of the Annapolis Opera board of trustees. “This is a chance for people to take a break from hectic holiday preparations and to revel in some of the most beautiful music ever written.”
Bel Canto by Candlelight will feature sopranos Maria Alu and Yeonjune Suh, tenors Nathan Carlisle and Colin Eaton, and baritone Dan Collins, all of whom are making their Annapolis Opera debuts. Annapolis Opera’s artistic director, Maestro Ron Gretz, will accompany the singers and provide program commentary.
Tickets for the concert are $30 with a 10 percent discount for groups of 10 or more and can be purchased at www.marylandhall.org or by calling 410-280-5640. A limited number of tickets will also be available at the door. The complete program and biographies of the singers are on the Opera’s website, www.annapolisopera.org.
For information, call 410-267-8135.
Annapolis Opera Opens With “Dying Divas and Dastardly Dons”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 8, 2008
Contact: Greg Stiverson, 410-268-6764
Annapolis Opera Opens With “Dying Divas and Dastardly Dons”
Annapolis Opera kicks off its 36th season with a new opera concert on November 2 at 3 p.m. at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts. “Dying Divas and Dastardly Don’s features six of the opera world’s brightest rising stars in a program devoted to shocking betrayals and love gone very badly.
The concert will feature some of opera’s finest arias, duets, and ensembles. Highlights will include the mad scene from Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor; the final duet from Verdi’s
La Traviata; Manon’s final aria from Puccini’s Manon Lescaut; the duet between Aida and Amonasaro from Verdi’s Aida; the duet between Rigoletto and Gilda from Verdi’s
Rigoletto; Liu’s final aria from Puccini’s Turandot; and Giovanni’s “Serenade” from Mozart’s Don Giovanni.
The Annapolis Opera Chamber Orchestra, directed by Maestro Ron Gretz, will accompany the singers. Featured artists are Colleen Daly, described by the Washington Post as a “dramatically powerful” soprano; New York soprano Alexis Cregger; Lisa Lockhart, a critically acclaimed lirico spinto soprano; tenor Michael Gallant, first place winner of the Washington DC Vocal Arts Society Discovery Series; baritone Daniel Lickteig; and Ben Wager, a bass with a voice of “incredibly dark timbre.”
“We’re excited about the new opera concert format that we have added to our program offerings this year,” said Greg Stiverson, Annapolis Opera president. “People new to opera will hear some of the greatest music ever written and see why this art form is so enduring and beloved while experienced opera goers will have a chance to enjoy again some of their favorite arias.”
“Opera is like a great soap opera,” says Leah Solat, chair of Annapolis Opera’s Artistic Committee. “Jilted lovers, scoundrels, and damsels in distress make for high drama and great singing. ‘Dying Divas and Dastardly Dons’ brings together “the best of the worst” of opera’s villains and victims in a program that is sure to delight everyone.”
Tickets for Dying Divas and Dastardly Dons are $48 and $40 and are available by calling the Maryland Hall ticket office at 410-280-5640. The full program and biographies of the singers are available on the Annapolis Opera website at www.annapolisopera.org.
Annapolis Opera Offers New Programs and Lower Prices
For Immediate Release
September 23, 2008
Contact: Greg Stiverson, President, Annapolis Opera, 410-268-6764
Annapolis Opera’s 36th season offers an expanded program of live performances of the greatest opera music ever written. New opera aria concert performances at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts open and close the season, and a new holiday program is also on tap. Prices have been reduced on several of the season’s offerings, with substantial savings on full season subscriptions compared with earlier years.
Shocking betrayals and love gone very badly will be featured in Dying Divas and Dastardly Dons, the season’s opening concert on Sunday, November 2. at 3 p.m. at Maryland Hall. Six of the opera world’s brightest rising stars will sing, murder, and expire to some of the greatest music ever written. Annapolis Opera’s maestro, Ron Gretz, will direct the Annapolis Opera Chamber Orchestra for this new concert event.
Bel Canto by Candlelight is Annapolis Opera’s new holiday offering, which will be presented on Sunday, December 7, at 3 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in downtown Annapolis. Bel Canto means “beautiful singing,” and that’s what awaits attendees at this special holiday-season concert. Maestro Ron Gretz and a quintet of outstanding voices promise a memorable experience for the holiday season. Prices for this concert have been reduced to $30 to enable everyone to join with Annapolis Opera in welcoming the holiday season.
The 21st Annual Vocal Competition Finals, one of Annapolis Opera’s most popular events, occurs on February 8 at 2 p.m. at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts. This free public event features the eight finalists from a field of over 100 applicants from some of the finest opera-training programs in the region.
Annapolis Opera’s fully staged production this year features the Italian opera duo of Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana (“Rustic Chivalry”) and Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci (“Players” or “Clowns”). These one-act operas are exemplars of the verismo, or realistic, style of opera. Both operas feature ordinary people in real-life situations—behaving badly and ultimately suffering the very real consequences. Performances are at Maryland Hall on Friday March 13, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, March 15, at 3 p.m.
This year’s children’s opera provides a delightful way to introduce children to the joy of opera. The Three Billy Goats Gruff, a Baltimore Opera production with music by Mozart, Donizetti, and Rossini, will charm youthful audiences with its characters and music while teaching them important lessons of tolerance and kindness to others. The children’s opera will be performed on Saturday, April 18, at 10:30 a.m. at Maryland Hall.
The season concludes on Saturday, May 9, 2009, with Romantic Divas and Amorous Dons, a program devoted to opera’s most beloved romantic arias. Presented at Maryland Hall, this concert will feature six opera singers accompanied by the Annapolis Opera Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Maestro Ron Gretz.
Annapolis Opera offers a variety of season subscription packages, all of which provide discounts over regular-ticket prices. For a subscription brochure, call 410-267-8135, or visit the AO website at www.AnnapolisOpera.org. For tickets to individual events, call the Maryland Hall Ticket Office at 410-280-5640 or visit the website. The website also provides additional details on all performances, including biographies of singers and program selections.
ANAPOLIS OPERA ANNOUNCES 21st ANNUAL VOCAL COMPETITION
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 16, 2008
Annapolis Opera will be accepting applications for the 21st Annual Annapolis Opera Vocal Competition starting October 1, 2008. During the preliminary rounds on January 30 and 31, 2009, a three-judge panel will choose eight finalists. On February 8, they will perform in concert at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts in Annapolis. A second panel of judges will determine the winners. All finalists receive cash prizes, and vie for a special “Audience Choice” award. Applicants should be between the ages of 20 and 35, and must reside in, attend school in, or work in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, or Washington, DC. Also eligible are full or part-time students attending Westminster Choir College, a division of the Westminster College of the Arts (Rider University), and Rutgers (The State University of New Jersey), at New Brunswick. Application forms are available on the Annapolis Opera website, www.annapolisopera.org, or by sending an email to vocalcomp@annapolisopera.org.
Singers should prepare five operatic arias (no operetta) varying in style, mood, and language (3 languages required, one of which must be English). Annapolis Opera’s accompanist, Eileen Cornett, will accompany at the finals concert and will be available at the preliminaries.
The finals concert is free and open to the public.
For information, contact the Annapolis Opera Office by email, vocalcomp@annapolisopera.org or by telephone, 410-267-8135.
Fall 2008 Opera Appreciation Classes
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 11, 2008
Dr. M.A. Cashman continues her popular series of opera appreciation classes for Annapolis Opera with a fall program spanning works from four centuries. Classes are held on five consecutive Monday evenings, beginning October 13.
Sessions will cover Lully’s Persée, Tchaikovsky’s Pikavaya Dama (“Queen of Spades”), Britten’s The Turn of the Screw, Pizzetti’s Assassinio nella Cattedrale, and Corigliani’s The Ghosts of Versailles.
Classes are held at Dr. Cashman’s home from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Fees for the series are $50 for Annapolis Opera members and $100 for nonmembers. Individual classes may be taken at $25 per class.
For more details and to register for the series or individual classes, call Annapolis Opera at 410-267-8135.
ANNAPOLIS OPERA ELECTS NEW OFFICERS AND TRUSTEES
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 1, 2008
Annapolis Opera, the Capital City’s professional opera company, held its annual meeting on June 23 at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts. Acting President Michael Teems reviewed the successful 2007-08 season, which included sell-out crowds for Bizet’s Carmen and successful fundraising efforts that left the company comfortably in the black for the year. The membership approved a resolution of thanks for outgoing Annapolis Opera president, Leah Solat.
Officers elected for the 2008-09 season were Gregory Stiverson, president; Michael Teems, vice president; Philip Tawes, secretary; and Robert Heaney, treasurer.
New trustees elected to a two-year term were William Bowen; Audrey English; Robert Libson; Anthony Manganaro; and Linda Walsh. Trustees elected to an additional term were Barbara Bellack; Charles Berliner; Barbara Bohl-Watkins; Richard Hack; Edgar Paglee; and Michael Teems.
Honorary trustees elected to two-year terms were Sylvia Earl; Harry Gatanas; Anna E. Greenberg; Dean Johnson; Ellen Moyer; Anna Marie Musterman; William Ray; and Dennis Younger.
Donna Durkan and Edgar Paglee were elected as at-large members of the Opera’s executive committee.
Now in its 36th season, Annapolis Opera presents professionally produced opera featuring the opera stars of the future. Its goal is to introduce audiences, young and old, to the joy of opera. The 2008-09 Season will feature two new opera concerts at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts plus the fully staged Italian operas, Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana and Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci. For subscription information, call 410-267-8135 or go to www.annapolisopera.org
ANNAPOLIS OPERA PRESENTS HANSEL & GRETEL, AN OPERA FOR CHILDREN
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 15, 2008
Annapolis Opera invites you to introduce the children in your life to the pleasures of opera, with a delightful production of Hansel & Gretel on Saturday, April 26, 2008, at 10:30 am, at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts.
Each year, Annapolis Opera hosts a Children’s Opera to further its educational mission to offer young people opera at its best--in live theatrical performances. This year, the Opera is teaming with Anne Arundel Community College’s OPERA AACC and the All Children’s Chorus of Annapolis to present Engelbert Humperdinck’s famous opera, based on the fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm. Adults and children alike will recognize many of the songs, especially the beloved lullaby “Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep.”
Hansel & Gretel will be sung in English and is designed expressly for elementary school children. Tickets are only $10 each for both children and adults, who must be accompanied by one or more children to attend.
To purchase tickets, call the Maryland Hall Box Office at 410-280-5640 or visit www.marylandhall.org.
For more information call Annapolis Opera at 410-267-8135 or visit www.annapolisopera.org.
Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts is conveniently located on Chase Street, off Spa Road, in Annapolis, and is handicap accessible.
Contact: Edye Schilling, Annapolis Opera Office Manager
ANNAPOLIS OPERA ANNOUNCES 2008-2009 SEASON AUDITIONS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 15, 2008
Annapolis Opera is pleased to announce auditions for its 2008-2009 Season. Auditions will be held on Thursday, June 5, 2008 from 5:00PM to 10:00PM, Friday, June 6, 2008 from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM and Saturday, June 7, 2008 from 9:00AM to 4:00 PM at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts in Annapolis, Maryland.
Application deadline is Friday, May 9, 2008.
Audition application forms are available via the Annapolis Opera website:
www.annapolisopera.org.
Emerging professionals from the Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C. are especially encouraged to apply.
Auditions will be for the following:
• I PAGLIACCI and CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA (sung in Italian), Friday, March 13, and Sunday, March 15, 2009.
• Dying Divas and Dastardly Dons, Sunday, November 2, 2008 - Opera’s greatest tragic scenes and villainous deeds.
• Bel Canto by Candlelight, Sunday, December 2, 2008 – A concert of favorite arias and ensembles.
• Romantic Diva and Amorous Dons, Saturday, May 9 – Our 36th Season Finale; Opera’s greatest romantic moments.
***An accompanist will be provided ***
Audition requirements include: Three (3) arias. Singers accepted for performances other than the operas must be able to travel to rehearsals in Baltimore or Annapolis as arranged by Annapolis Opera’s Artistic Director. Singers accepted for major opera roles will receive travel reimbursement and be provided housing as appropriate. Singers should demonstrate a range of languages, style, tempi, and mood as appropriate. All singers should prepare one aria of their choice that demonstrates their unique qualities.
A $16.00 fee will be due at time of audition (Check, Money Order or Cash), or prepay using a Credit Card or PayPal.
For additional information, call the Annapolis Opera office.
Contact: Edye Schilling, Annapolis Opera Office Manager
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