Sara Beth Shelton, Contralto Hometown: Rock Hill, SC Current City: Boston, Massachussetts Education: University of South Carolina, B.M. and Boston University, M.M. Select Roles: Tamara's Nurse, The Demon (Anton Rubinstein); Madame de la Haltière, Cendrillon (Massenet); Hannah Pitt, Angels in America (Eötvös); Thelma Yablonski in Later the Same Evening (Musto); Ruth, Dark Sisters (Muhly); Musical Theater- Madame Armfeldt, A Little Night Music (Sondheim) Awards/Honors: Finalist for the National Association of Singing, SC Chapter Kayleigh Jardine, Mezzo Soprano Hometown: Emmaus, PA Current City: West Chester, PA Education: West Chester University, B.M. Music Performance: Voice (in progress) Select Roles: Tamara's Nurse, The Demon (Anton Rubinstein); Dorabella, Cosí fan tutte; Mrs. Herring, Albert Herring; Public Opinion, Orphée aux enfers. Musical Theatre: Madame Giry, Phantom of the Opera. Awards/Honors: 1st place, Parry Junior Year Voice Competition; Honorable Mention, Kennett Symphony of Chester County Voice Competition; FREDDY Award, Outstanding Performance by a Featured Female Ensemble Member. Robert Davidson, Bass Baritone Hometown: Springfield, VA Current City: Philadelphia, PA Education: B.M. Vocal Performance University of Virginia, B.S. Biology George Mason University Select Roles: Old Servant, The Demon (Rubinstein); Leporello, Don Giovanni; Alidoro, La Cenerentola; Sparafucile, Rigoletto; Geronte, Manon Lescaut; Pistola, Falstaff. Alexis Gill, Soprano Hometown: Louisville, KY Current City: Cleveland, OH Education: Baldwin Wallace University (will graduate with B.M. in 2016) Select Roles: Young Maiden and Tamara, The Demon (Anton Rubinstein); Serpetta, La Finta Giardiniera; Helene, La Belle Helene; Dew Fairy, Hansel and Gretel; Guadelena, La Perichole. Awards/Honors: Winner and recipient of the Kentucky Center Fund for the Arts Whittenberg Scholarship 2014; Schubert Fellow at SongFest 2014. Andrea Hansen, Soprano Hometown: Ellensburg, WA Current City: Chicago Education: Texas State University, MM Voice Performance; Central Washington University, BM Voice Performance. Select Roles: Young Maiden and Tamara, The Demon (Anton Rubinstein); Fiordiligi, Cosi fan tutte (upcoming); Donna Anna, Don Giovanni; Erste Dame, Die Zauberflöte; Contessa Almaviva, Le Nozze di Figaro; Blanche de la Force, Les Dialogues des Carmelites; Sadie, Slow Dusk (Floyd); Laurie Moss, The Tender Land. Awards/Honors: 2nd place - Division V - National Association of Teachers of Singing Intermountain Region; 3rd place - Division I - National Association of Teachers of Singing Intermountain Region; Outstanding Graduate Student Award, Texas State University. Mary Claire E. Curran, Soprano Hometown: Baltimore, Maryland Current City: Baltimore Education: University of North Carolina at Wilmington, B.M Vocal Performance; University of Miami, M.M Vocal Performance; SongFest 2013; AIMS in Graz 2010 Select Roles: Young Maiden and Tamara, The Demon (Anton Rubinstein); Erste Dame, Die Zauberflöte; Janice, Entanglements (world premiere); Hansel, Hansel and Gretel; Suor Zelatrice, Suor Angelica. Musical Theatre- Sally Brown, You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown; Ariel, Footloose Awards/Honors: Semi-Finalist, Marcello Giordani Int'l Voice Competition; Encouragement Award, Metropolitan Opera Nat'l Councils; Richard R. Deas Concerto Winner, Wilmington Symphony Orchestra; Mary Ann and Spencer Everett Scholarship Recipient, University North Carolina at Wilmington 2008-2011 Yung-Wei Sun, Soprano Hometown: Taipei, Taiwan Current City: Columbus, OH Education: National Taiwan University of Arts, B.A and The Ohio State University, M.M in Vocal Performance Select Roles: Young Maiden and Tamara, The Demon (Anton Rubinstein); Daojing Lin, The Song of Youth; La Sagesse, Armide (Lully); La Haine, Armide (Lully); Alice (cover), Falstaff; Adolfo (cover), Faramondo; First Lady (cover), The Magic Flute Awards/Honors: The Graduate Research Small Grants, The Ohio State University; Irma Cooper Vocal Scholarship, The Ohio State University Sarah Lennertz, Soprano Hometown: Dunn Loring, VA Current City: Boston Education: Boston University, M.M in Vocal Performance; George Mason University, B.M in Vocal Performance and Music Education; Bethesda Summer Music Festival, Young Artist; La Musica Lirica, Young Artist Select Roles: Young Maiden and Tamara, The Demon (Anton Rubinstein); Noémie, Cendrillon; Elaine O’Neill, Later the Same Evening (Musto); Pamina, Die Zauberflöte; Sandman, Hänsel und Gretel, La Suora Infermiera, Suor Angelica, Belle, A Christmas Carol (Hermann); Mae Jones, Street Scene Awards/Honors: 1st and 3rd Place, National Association of Teachers of Singing, Virginia Region; Peterson Music Project Scholarship, George Mason University Julianne Fröhlich, Soprano Hometown: Sparta, NJ Current City: Montclair, NJ Education: Montclair State University, B.M in Vocal Performance Select Roles: Young Maiden and Tamara, The Demon (Anton Rubinstein); Rosalinde, Die Fledermaus; Countess Almaviva, Le Nozze di Figaro; Erste Dame, Die Zauberflöte; Nella, Gianni Schicchi; Bastienne, Bastien und Bastienne; Clarice, Il mondo della Luna; Birdie Hubbard, Regina; Suor Infermiera, Suor Angelica; Fiordiligi, Cosi fan tutte Awards/Honors: Undergraduate Convocation Singer, Montclair State University MEDIA CONTACT
Inna Heasley 215.280.4824 inna@pr-perfect.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Russian Opera Workshop Presents Philadelphia Premiere of The Demon by Anton Rubinstein in Free Public Concerts PHILADELPHIA, June-July 2015: In its fifth season, Russian Opera Workshop presents in-concert opera productions of Anton Rubinstein's The Demon, a Philadelphia premiere (June 23-25), and Tchaikovsky's last opera Iolanta (July 28-30). Performances are sung in Russian with English supertitles, with Founder & Music Director Ghenady Meirson at the piano. The artists are introduced in the “preview” Russian Romances concerts Monday June 22 and July 27. All performances are free to public and start at 7:30 PM at the Helen Corning Warden Theater at the Academy of Vocal Arts, 1920 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, 19103. Known for its dynamic educational structure, top notch professional faculty, revivals of seldom performed operas and free public performances filled to capacity, Russian Opera Workshop 2015 brings aspiring opera artists to Philadelphia from across the United States, Canada and Mexico. During the course of each month, the faculty members (marked with **) conduct a series of Master Classes, which are open to general public at no charge. "Rubinstein’s The Demon was composed in 1871 and premiered in 1875 in St. Petersburg, with libretto by Pavel Viskovatov based on the popular poem of the same name by Mikhail Lermontov which was banned in Russia until 1860. While being still often performed in Russia, the opera is a rare event in the West. On June 23, The Demon will receive its premiere in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia premiere performance of The Demon includes a chorus comprised of singers from the local choral groups: Philadelphia Singers, Choral Arts Philadelphia and Mendelssohn Club, with Julia Zavadsky (faculty at Rutgers University) as the chorus master. “From a training perspective, the Workshop helps to place rarely performed Russian operas on the map, making our important contribution to the visibility of these great works,” said Meirson. “I was happy that this season The Metropolitan Opera produced Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta for the first time in their history, with Anna Netrebko in the title role. This summer marks my sixth production of this opera. And in January 2015, Dmitry Hvorostovsky made his Demon role debut in Moscow. All of these efforts help bring rarely performed and important Russian operas to life." Russian Opera Workshop 2015 Faculty: Ghenady Meirson, Founder & Music Director (AVA and The Curtis Institute of Music) Dr. Sharon Bain, Russian Language Class (Bryn Mawr College) Benita Valente, distinguished American soprano (AVA) Thor Eckert, professional development coach (AVA) William Stone, baritone (AVA), Michael Eberhard, Artistic Administrator (Opera Philadelphia) Daron Hagen, American composer Michele Scanlon, voice/opera coach (AVA) Donald St. Pierre, voice/opera coach (Curtis Institute of Music) Elise Auerbach, voice/opera coach (Temple University) Russian Opera Workshop 2015 Schedule All events at Academy of Vocal Arts, 1920 Spruce St., Philadelphia, PA 19103. No tickets/reservations, open seating. More information at www.RussianOperaWorkshop.com CONCERTS – all start at 7:30 PM: Monday, June 22 Lecture and Concert of Russian Romances Introducing Russian Opera Workshop artists. Foreword to The Demon by composer Daron Hagen Tuesday-Thursday, June 23-25 A. Rubinstein: The Demon, opera in concert, a Philadelphia Premiere Ghenady Meirson, Music Director and Pianist Monday, July 27 Concert of Russian Romances Introducing Russian Opera Workshop artists. Tuesday-Thursday, July 28-30 Pyotr I. Tchaikovsky: Iolanta, opera in concert Ghenady Meirson, Music Director and Pianist MASTER CLASSES – all start at 1 PM: Thursday & Friday, June 4 and 5 Thor Eckert, AVA faculty Professional Development: Auditioning for competitions, agents and opera companies. Thursday & Friday, June 11 and 12 Benita Valente, a distinguished American soprano Vocal master class on standard opera repertoire. Two groups of singers on consecutive days. Thursday & Friday, July 9 and 10 Michael Eberhard, Artistic Administrator at Opera Philadelphia Professional Development Auditioning. Two groups of singers on consecutive days. Thursday & Friday, July 16 and 17 William Stone, Baritone, AVA faculty Vocal master class on standard opera repertoire. Two groups of singers on consecutive days. About Russian Opera Workshop: An independent summer training program for aspiring and professional opera singers, the workshop was founded in 2011 by Ghenady Meirson, faculty member at the Academy of Vocal Arts and Curtis Institute of Music. The workshop offers an intensive 30-day long multi-faceted opera and vocal performance training and Russian language immersion which concludes with free public performances of the opera and arias the singers have learned in the course of study. For more information contact Ghenady Meirson 267.475.6500 or http://www.russianoperaworkshop.com/contact.html. More at RussianOperaWorkshop.com. Members of the press are invited to reserve their complimentary seating for any of the above events by contacting publicist Inna Heasley at inna@pr-perfect.com. RELATED LINKS: Russian composer Anton Rubinstein: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton_Rubinstein Rubinstein’s opera “Demon”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Demon_%28opera%29 Pyotr I. Tchaikovsky’s opera “Iolanta”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iolanta Russian Opera Workshop program 2015: http://www.russianoperaworkshop.com/summer-2015.html # # # |
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