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THE 2006 FESTIVAL SEASON
Waitsfield, VT -
The
Green Mountain Opera Festival has
announced its 2006 summer program. Housed in the historic
Joslyn Round Barn, the festival will run from
June 11th to 25th
featuring three gala performances, a complete opera
production and special rehearsals open to the public. The highlight of the
festival will be a fully staged production of Rossini’s comic masterpiece,
Il Barbiere di Siviglia,
at the Barre Opera House,
a beautifully restored theatre in Barre, Vermont. The opera will be
performed with a 26-piece orchestra under the baton of Italian born
maestro
Giovanni Reggioli and
the stage direction and design will be done by famous director and
designer, UK born
John Pascoe.
The festival’s first performance at the Round Barn on
June 16th will be dedicated
to the repertoire of
Mozart, whose
250th birthday is celebrated this year. Pianist Christopher
Devlin and maestro Giovanni Reggioli will share the piano
accompaniment for the stellar cast of singers. All festival performances
take place at
7:30pm.
The second concert on
June 18th takes place also
at the
Round Barn and will be in celebration of
Father’s Day.
Opera lovers are invited to come and celebrate their fathers with songs,
opera’s greatest hits and a grand evening of musical entertainment.
As mentioned above, the festival’s “piece de resistance” will be a
complete opera production of Rossini’s
Il Barbiere di Siviglia (The
Barber of Seville) on
June 24th. This opera is
perhaps the most important, influential and popular comedic opera in the
modern repertoire. It is truly a masterpiece in every sense of the word.
The final concert of the festival will take place on
June 25th at the Round
Barn and will feature the wonderful operatic voices in a
Broadway and Beyond showcase.
The singers will let their hair down in repertoire from shows such as
Porgy and Bess,
Showboat, West Side Story, Phantom of
the Opera, and many other exciting and extremely popular
selections.
THE OPERA PRODUCTION
The Barber of Seville
(sung in Italian with English supertitles) is a comic tale of masquerade
and mayhem which tells the story of two young lovers, Rosina and Count
Almaviva, who enlist the aid of the local barber, Figaro, to fend off old
Dr. Bartolo who wants the young Rosina as his wife. The music is filled
with brilliant fireworks and Rossini's masterpiece will be brought to life
by an internationally stellar cast.
THE ARTISTS
THE SINGERS
The role of Rosina will be sung by Canadian of Italian origin, soprano
MARIATERESA MAGISANO who has sung the
role at the
Aspen Opera Theatre, Opera Saskatchewan and will be reprising it at Opera Lyra Ottawa next fall. She has sung with New York
City Opera, Arizona Opera, Opera Columbus, DesMoines
Metro Opera, Calgary, Vancouver and
Edmonton Operas. She is a winner of the Metropolitan Opera
competition and a grant recipient from the Metropolitan Opera Ed
Fund. Ms. Magisano completed her studies at McGill Unversity and
the
Juilliard Opera Center.
The role of the barber Figaro will be sung by young American baritone
JONATHAN CARLE who is leading a very busy
singing career. This young performer has already sung at Glimmerglass
Opera,
Minnesota Opera, Opera North and most recently sang the role of
Marcello in La Bohème
with the Sarasota Opera.
Count Almaviva will be sung by young American rising tenor
ZACHARY STAINS
who was called “Superb” by The London Times for his recording on
the Virgin Classics CD of Handel’s Radamisto. This
recording features Mr. Stains in the lead tenor role opposite Joyce
DiDonato. At its fall 2005 debut this CD was awarded The London Times
Classical Music CD of the week. This young singer has performed with the
New York City Opera, Knoxville Opera, Virginia Opera,
Nashville Opera and many others.
The old doctor Bartolo will be played by American buffo bass
MARK FREIMAN.
Mr. Freiman is a busy singer who
has appeared with the
New York City Opera National Company, Opera Saskatchewan,
Central City Opera, Tri-Cities Opera, Ft. Worth Opera,
Virginia Opera, and the Metropolitan Opera Guild, among
others. Most recently, he performed with the Sarasota Opera in
performances of La Bohème
and Verdi’s I Masnadieri.
Coniving music teacher Basilio will be sung by Metropolitan Opera
American bass
VALERIAN RUMINSKI.
He has performed with
some of the great opera companies in the US and abroad including The
Metropolitan Opera, NYC Opera, Dallas Opera, Santa Fe
Opera, Minnesota Opera, Opera de Montreal, Michigan
Opera Theatre, Opera de Monte Carlo and Opera Ireland
among many others. He can be heard on the Naxos label release of “Night
at the Opera” with other young singers who have debuted at the
Metropolitan Opera.
The comic role of Berta will be sung by American soprano
ALIZON HULL.
She has shared the stages
of the Metropolitan Opera and the New York City Opera with
singers like Placido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti,
Frederika Von Stade and many others as a member of the children's
chorus. She received a BA from Vassar College and a MM from
Manhattan School of Music. Her professional engagements have garnered
her critical praises from the New York Times and Opera News.
Recently she performed on the stage of the Washington National Opera
as Grizette in The Merry Widow opposite Placido Domingo.
The role of Fiorello will be portrayed by Montpelier baritone
SIMON CHAUSSÉ
who
has sung with opera companies in Canada and United States. Simon has sung
roles such as Papageno in Magic Flute to great acclaim. His upcoming
schedule includes the lead role in Don Giovanni at the Barre
Opera House and baritone soloist in Haydn’s Harmonie Mass.
Mr. Chaussé has sung in recitals and concerts in Europe, Japan, Canada and
USA. He often collaborates with famous pianist Dalton Baldwin. He
is currently on the voice faculty at Monteverdi Music School.
Soprano
AGATHE MARTEL
will return to the Waitsfield area this June to sing
in two concerts at the Round Barn on June 16th
and 18th.
"Lovely voice, rich in color, and capable of an
attractive sensuality" is how Opera
News Magazine describes this wonderful singer. She has sung
throughout North America as well as in Europe. She has given recitals in
Toronto, Chicago, Victoria, Montreal,
Lausanne, Zurich, Washington DC and Quebec City.
THE
CREATIVE TEAM
Directing and designing our opera production will be internationally
renowned, UK born,
JOHN PASCOE.
He has worked in most of the world's leading opera houses since his debut
in 1979 for the
English National Opera. Mr. Pascoe works as director and/or
designer for such houses as Chicago, San Francisco,
Dallas, Houston, Spoleto Festivals USA & Italy,
Rome, Cannes, Munich, The Royal Opera House
(London) & Sydney Opera House, featuring the greatest names of the
operatic world such as Dame Joan Sutherland & Renée Fleming.
The conductor for our opera production will be Italian born
GIOVANNI REGGIOLI.
He has already established an impressive international career leading the
Metropolitan Opera, Washington Opera and Los Angeles Opera
orchestras, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, the Orchestra of
Saint Luke’s, the
Orchestra Filarmonica Mediterranea, the Orchestra Filarmonica di
Sanremo. Maestro Reggioli was Assistant Conductor at the
Metropolitan Opera and worked with maestro James Levine. Since
2001, maestro Reggioli works directly with Placido Domingo at the
Washington Opera and is head coach and music administrator for the
Washington Opera’s Vilar Young Artist Program. Maestro
Reggioli just finished a hugely successful engagement at the Australian
Opera where he has already been invited back for future seasons.
The rehearsal pianist and concert accompanist will be Canadian
CHRISTOPHER DEVLIN. He is presently vocal
coach, repetiteur and assistant conductor at the Connecticut Opera.
Mr. Devlin also acts as music director of Connecticut Opera’s
educational and outreach program. He has served on the faculty of
McGill’s premiere opera program. Mr. Devlin has been recorded on
numerous occasions by CBC Radio Canada. Mr. Devlin’s recital work
also includes performances with artists such as soprano Maria
Pellegrini as well as renowned American mezzo-soprano, Denyce
Graves.
Lighting Designer JEFF DAVIS
has worked at New York City Opera in numerous new productions. His
Live From Lincoln Center credits include La Bohème
and La Traviata (Emmy Awards). He has worked at Pittsburgh
Opera Theatre, at Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center and opera companies of
Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Portland, Indianapolis, Virginia, Sarasota,
Chautauqua Washington Opera, and Opéra de Québec. Jeff’s Broadway credits
include Play On!, The Mask of Moriarty, Born
Yesterday, Death of a Salesman, I Never Sang
for My Father, Blues in the Night. Television
credits include One Life to Live, As the World Turns,
Great Performances and Live From Lincoln Center.
PIERO BONAMICO, our chorus master, returned to Vermont in
1995 after completing his studies in piano, music education and conducting
at the Eastman School of Music. He was immediately hired to teach
piano at Vermont College and to conduct the Mad River Chorale
in Waitsfield. Mr. Bonamico has also served as musical director for a
number of theater productions. Under his supervision, the Mad River
Chorale has undertaken a variety of ambitious projects including the
founding of Vermont's premiere professional vocal ensemble Counterpoint.
In 2004 MRC Inc. assumed control of the
Bundy Center for the Arts. Mr. Bonamico studies voice with
world-renowned voice teacher Bill Reed and vocal jazz with Gregory Toroian,
both of New York City. Mr. Bonamico created the Choral Excellence
Series which produces print, video and web tools for choral musicians
across America.
For information on past years please click below:
2006 |
2007 | 2008
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