Chamber Music Pittsburgh announces PITTSBURGH PERFORMS concert series

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Chamber Music Pittsburgh has announced the fall portion of its newest concert series, Pittsburgh Performs. This series, created by Executive Director Kristen Linfante, seeks to showcase the multi- faceted musical talents that the Steel City has to offer by presenting affordable pay-what-you-wish performances featuring local musicians in non-traditional venues around town.

“There is a multitude of talented musicians living in Pittsburgh,” says Linfante. “This series not only aims to celebrate their talents, but also to bring the music into the communities where people live, work and socialize.” Pittsburgh Performs will lift the music out of the concert hall and make it accessible to more people by meeting them where they already are – in restaurants, bars, community spaces, galleries, and beyond.

WATCH/LISTEN: ‘Burgh Vivant’s interview with Chamber Music Pittsburgh Executive Director Kristen Linfante.

In the spirit of making music accessible within the communities, Chamber Music Pittsburgh will not be charging for tickets to the Pittsburgh Performs concerts. Instead, there will be a suggested donation amount that patrons may choose to pay. “The ‘pay-what-you-wish’ model really enhances the community aspect of Pittsburgh Performs,” says Linfante, “because it breaks down that elite, ivory tower mentality that people have come to associate with classical music. Actually, Bach played his music in bars and coffeehouses. That’s how people experienced music. Over time classical music became revered as something so sacred that some people felt it must be protected by putting it in a museum-like setting of the traditional concert hall. But with Pittsburgh Performs, we are looking to reclaim the fundamental truth that everyone is welcome to listen to great music – performed by great local musicians, in great local spots.”

Pittsburgh Performs opens on Thursday, September 24, 2015, at 6:30 PM, featuring DJ duo Tracksploitation in collaboration with a classical string quartet at BOOM Concepts on Penn Avenue, Garfield. Tracksploitation’s “galvanizing energy” has “fostered … an artistic community” (Pittsburgh City Paper), and will feel right at home at BOOM Concepts, which is a self-described creative hub dedicated to the expansion of activity for artists, musicians, and entrepreneurs. Refreshments will be served for free, though patrons are encouraged to donate what they can.

Pittsburgh Performs’ second concert is on Wednesday, November 11, 2015, at 5:00 PM, featuring the Fauré String Trio at Franktuary on Butler Street, Lawrenceville. The Fauré String Trio has had the honor of premiering many new compositions since its inception in 2003, but this concert may be the first time they have the honor of being accompanied by a custom menu of gourmet hot dogs, grub and cocktails available for purchase and designed specially for the event by the folks at Franktuary.

Chamber Music Pittsburgh announces new series: Pittsburgh Performs

Pittsburgh Performs will return for two more concerts in April and May 2016, to be announced.

About Chamber Music Pittsburgh

Chamber Music Pittsburgh (previously the Pittsburgh Chamber Music Society) presents world-class chamber music ensembles and soloists, promising emerging artists, and innovative programs; and also fosters an appreciation for chamber music in the Pittsburgh community by offering educational programs and experiences. In carrying out its mandate, CMP has been guided consistently by two basic principles: quality and variety. Each year’s program is a carefully balanced menu of acclaimed chamber ensembles along with the most brilliant emerging groups.

CMP is supported by grants from the Allegheny Regional Asset District, the A.W. Mellon Educational and Charitable Trust of The Pittsburgh Foundation, and the Heinz Endowments. The Heinz Endowments supports efforts to make southwestern Pennsylvania a premier place to live and work, a center for learning and educational excellence, and a region that embraces diversity and inclusion.

CMP 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.

 

Violinist Itzhak Perlman joins the opening of Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s 2015-2016 season

Itzhak Perlman. Photo by Lisa Marie Mazzucco. 

PITTSBURGH – On Saturday, September 12 at 7 p.m., be swept away to the Golden Age of the Silver Screen during “Cinema Serenade,” the gala opening of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s 2015-2016 season at Heinz Hall, featuring legendary violinist Itzhak Perlman and Music Director Manfred Honeck.

Perlman and the orchestra will perform selections from “Cinema Serenade,” a 1997 recording on which Perlman, the Pittsburgh Symphony and conductor John Williams collaborate. Selections will include “As Time Goes By” from “Casablanca,” the love theme from “Cinema Paradiso,” the tango from “Scent of a Woman” and more! The audience will also enjoy music from Offenbach, Liszt, Brahms and others during the concert. There will be no intermission.

The concert is preceded by a cocktail party at Heinz Hall, followed by a Gala dinner and the annual Soirée at the Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh.

The “Cinema Serenade” Gala is chaired by Ann and Christopher Donahue — along with Honorary Chairs Dick and Ginny Simmons and Brenda and Steve Schlotterbeck. The gala evening includes a pre-concert cocktail hour at Heinz Hall, valet parking, premium-level seating for the concert, a silent auction, a post-concert formal dinner and a dessert reception with Maestro Honeck at the Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh. Gala packages start at $750.

The “Cinema Serenade” Soirée includes valet parking, a pre-concert cocktail hour at Heinz Hall, concert tickets and a post-concert celebration with symphony musicians at the Wyndham Grandincluding hors d’oeuvres, an open bar, a silent auction and live music. The “Cinema Serenade” Soirée is chaired by Sarah and Kevin Eddy and Bonnie and Jay R. Mangold, along with honorary chairs Mike & Angela DeVanney, Michael J. Herald, Steve Hackman and Nicholas Varischetti. The Soirée Silent Auction Chairs are Christina and Cabot Earle and the Musician Chairs are Becky and Ed Stephan. Soirée packages start at $225.

Silent auction items for “Cinema Serenade” events include premium tickets to Pittsburgh sporting events, Marco Valente earrings from Henne Jewelers, a chef table at the Wyndham Grand, a week-long stay at an eight-bedroom home on Lake Chautauqua and many more fabulous items.

Gala packages and Soirée tickets can be purchased by contacting Kierstin Wilson, events coordinator, at 412-392-4830 and kwilson@pittsburghsymphony.org. All proceeds from the Gala concert and associated parties support the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s Education and Community Engagement programs.

Tickets, ranging in price from $35 to $150 for the gala concert only, are on sale now and can be purchased through the Heinz Hall box office at 412-392-4900 or pittsburghsymphony.org. Ticket prices are subject to change.

Undeniably the reigning virtuoso of the violin, Itzhak Perlman enjoys superstar status rarely afforded a classical musician. Beloved for his charm and humanity as well as his talent, he is treasured by audiences throughout the world who respond not only to his remarkable artistry, but also to his irrepressible joy for making music.

Having performed with every major orchestra and at venerable concert halls around the globe, Perlman was granted a Kennedy Center Honor in 2003 by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in celebration of his distinguished achievements and contributions to the cultural and educational life of the United States. He has performed multiple times at the White House, most recently in 2012 at the invitation of President Barack Obama and Mrs. Obama, for Israeli President and Presidential Medal of Freedom honoree Shimon Peres; and at a State Dinner in 2007, hosted by President George W. Bush and Mrs. Bush, for Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh. In 2009, Perlman was honored to take part in the inauguration of President Obama, premiering a piece written for the occasion by John Williams alongside cellist Yo-Yo Ma, clarinetist Anthony McGill and pianist Gabriela Montero, for an audience of nearly 40 million television viewers in the United States and millions more throughout the world.

Born in Israel in 1945, Perlman completed his initial training at the Academy of Music in Tel Aviv. He came to New York and soon was propelled to national recognition with an appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1958. Following his studies at the Juilliard School with Ivan Galamian and Dorothy DeLay, he won the prestigious Leventritt Competition in 1964, which led to a burgeoning worldwide career. Since then, Perlman has established himself as a cultural icon and household name in classical music.

Perlman has further delighted audiences through his frequent appearances on the conductor’s podium. He has performed as conductor with the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Boston Symphony, National Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the symphony orchestras of Dallas, Houston, Pittsburgh, Seattle, Montreal and Toronto, as well as at the Ravinia and Tanglewood festivals. He was music advisor of the St. Louis Symphony from 2002 to 2004 where he made regular conducting appearances, and he was principal guest conductor of the Detroit Symphony from 2001 to 2005. Internationally, Perlman has conducted the Berlin Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, London Philharmonic, English Chamber Orchestra and the Israel Philharmonic.

Further to his engagements as violinist and conductor, Perlman is increasingly making more speaking appearances. Recent and upcoming engagements including the Salk Institute in San Diego on the centennial anniversary of Dr. Salk’s birth, Orlando at Rollins College, Greensboro at Guilford College, Palm Beach at the Society of the Four Arts and Chicago with the Jewish United Fund.

A major presence in the performing arts on television, Perlman has been honored with four Emmy Awards, most recently for the PBS documentary “Fiddling for the Future,” a film about Perlman’s work as a teacher and conductor for the Perlman Music Program. Perlman has entertained and enlightened millions of TV viewers of all ages on popular shows as diverse as “The Late Show with David Letterman,” “Sesame Street,” “The Frugal Gourmet,” “The Tonight Show” and various Grammy Awards telecasts. His PBS appearances have included “A Musical Toast” and “Mozart by the Masters,” as well as numerous “Live From Lincoln Center” broadcasts. During the 78th Annual Academy Awards in 2006, he performed a live medley from the five film scores nominated in the category of Best Original Score for a worldwide audience in the hundreds of millions. One of Perlman’s proudest achievements is his collaboration with film composer John Williams in Steven Spielberg’s Academy Award-winning film “Schindler’s List,” in which he performed the violin solos. He can also be heard as the violin soloist on the soundtrack of Zhang Yimou’s film “Hero” (music by Tan Dun) and Rob Marshall’s “Memoirs of a Geisha” (music by John Williams).

In 2008, Perlman was honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for excellence in the recording arts. His recordings regularly appear on the best-seller charts and have garnered 16 Grammy Awards. Perlman’s most recent releases include “Eternal Echoes: Songs & Dances for the Soul” (Sony), featuring a collaboration with acclaimed cantor Yitzchak Meir Helfgot in liturgical and traditional Jewish arrangements for chamber orchestra and klezmer musicians; a recording of Mendelssohn Piano Trios (Sony) with cellist Yo-Yo Ma and pianist Emanuel Ax; and a recording for Deutsche Grammophon with Perlman conducting the Israel Philharmonic. Other recordings reveal Perlman’s devotion to education, including “Concertos from My Childhood” with the Juilliard Orchestra under Lawrence Foster (EMI) and “Marita and Her Heart’s Desire,” composed and conducted by Bruce Adolphe (Telarc). In 2004, EMI released The Perlman Edition, a limited-edition 15-CD box set featuring many of his finest EMI recordings as well as newly compiled material, and RCA Red Seal released a CD titled Perlman rediscovered, which includes material recorded in 1965 by a young Perlman.

Perlman has a long association with the Israel Philharmonic and has participated in many groundbreaking tours with this orchestra from his homeland. In 1987, he joined the IPO for history-making concerts in Warsaw and Budapest, representing the first performances by this orchestra and soloist in Eastern bloc countries. He again made history as he joined the orchestra for its first visit to the Soviet Union in 1990, and was cheered by audiences in Moscow and Leningrad who thronged to hear his recital and orchestral performances. This visit was captured on a PBS documentary entitled Perlman in Russia, which won an Emmy. In 1994, Perlman joined the Israel Philharmonic for their first visits to China and India.

Over the past decade, Perlman has become more actively involved in music education, using this opportunity to encourage gifted young string players. Alongside his wife, Toby, his close involvement in the Perlman Music Program has been a particularly rewarding experience, and he has taught full-time at the program each summer since its founding in 1993. Perlman currently holds the Dorothy Richard Starling Foundation Chair at the Juilliard School.

Numerous publications and institutions have paid tribute to Perlman for the unique place he occupies in the artistic and humanitarian fabric of our times. Harvard, Yale, Brandeis, Roosevelt, Yeshiva and Hebrew universities are among the institutions that have awarded him honorary degrees. He was awarded an honorary doctorate and a centennial medal on the occasion of Juilliard’s 100th commencement ceremony in May 2005. President Reagan honored Perlman with a Medal of Liberty in 1986, and in December 2000, President Clinton awarded Mr. Perlman the National Medal of Arts. His presence on stage, on camera and in personal appearances of all kinds speaks eloquently on behalf of the disabled, and his devotion to their cause is an integral part of Perlman’s life.

Manfred Honeck has served as music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra since the 2008-2009 season. After two extensions, his contract now runs until the end of the 2019-2020 season. To great acclaim, Honeck and his orchestra perform regularly for European audiences. Since 2010, annual tour performances have led them to numerous European music capitals and major music festivals, including Rheingau Musik Festival, Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, Beethovenfest Bonn, Musikfest Berlin, Grafenegg Festival, Lucerne Festival and the BBC Proms. Several recordings, amongst them Mahler’s Symphony No. 4, which won a 2012 International Classical Music Award, are available on Japanese label Exton. Honeck’s successful work with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra is now captured by Reference Recordings. The first SACD — of Strauss tone poems — was released in fall 2013 and received rave reviews. The second recording, of Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8 and the Symphonic Suite from Janaček’s opera Jenüfa, conceptualized by Honeck himself, followed in summer 2014 and received a Grammy Award nomination. Several additional recordings are completed, and Bruckner No. 4 was released in February 2015 to high critical praise. Born in Austria, Honeck received his musical training at the Academy of Music in Vienna. Many years of experience as a member of the Vienna Philharmonic and the Vienna State Opera Orchestra and at the helm of the Vienna Jeunesse Orchestra have given his conducting a distinctive stamp. He began his career as assistant to Claudio Abbado in Vienna. Subsequently, he was engaged by the Zurich Opera House, where he was bestowed the prestigious European Conductor’s Award in 1993. Other early stations of his career include Leipzig, where he was one of three main conductors of the MDR Symphony Orchestra and Oslo, where he assumed the post of music director at the Norwegian National Opera on short notice for a year and was engaged as principal guest conductor of the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra for several years. From 2000 to 2006, he was music director of the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Stockholm and, from 2008 to 2011, principal guest conductor of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, a position he has resumed for another three years at the beginning of the 2013-2014 season. As a guest conductor, Honeck has worked with leading international orchestras such as the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Staatskapelle Dresden, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, Accademia di Santa Cecilia Rome and the Vienna Philharmonic. Orchestras he conducted in the United States include New York Philharmonic, The Cleveland Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra and Boston Symphony Orchestra. He also is a regular guest at the Verbier Festival. In February 2013, he had his successful debut with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, the direct result of which was a CD recording together with Anne-Sophie Mutter (works of Dvorak). The current season sees returns to Bamberg, Stuttgart, Rome and New York as well as to the Vienna Symphony (a CD of works by the Strauss family was released in summer 2013) and Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. He also will conduct Tonhalleorchester Zürich and Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, amongst others. Honeck has received honorary doctorates from St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa., and, most recently, from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. He has been artistic director of the “International Concerts Wolfegg” in Germany for more than 15 years.

 

The “Buzz” from Buzzelli: Pittsburgh’s Top To-Do’s THIS WEEKEND (7/8 – 7/11)

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by Mike “Buzz” Buzzelli, ‘Burgh Vivant

 

Here are the Top Five Things to do in Pittsburgh the weekend of July 8 to July 11

 

Hit the Silk!

You can walk down the red carpet at a movie premiere this weekend at Silk Screen’s Asian Arts and Cultural Organization’s Red Carpet Gala. Celebrate their tenth anniversary of Asian American film, dance, art and music. The Red Carpet Gala is July 9 at 6:00 at the A.J. Palumbo Hall of Science and Technology, Carlow University, 3333 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213. For more information, go here. For details on the rest of the fest, go here.

 

Crawl to Daddy

The monthly Gallery Crawl is back downtown. Pittsburgh is full of Art, Music, Dance, Architecture, Comedy and Film. Experience them on Friday night between 5:30 and 9:00 pm at the quarterly Gallery Crawl. The event is free and open to the public. So check out all the participating venues and see what Pittsburgh has to offer! For more information, go here.

 

Cosmo!

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s 9th annual Cosmopolitan Pittsburgh fundraiser is happening this Friday, July 10. Following the Gallery Crawl around the Cultural District, run away with the circus and indulge in astounding performances, music, activities, and a wondrous dance party. Savor signature beverages and delicious treats, while enjoying a fabulous night on the town! Hit the VIP party from 7:00 – 9:00 pm or dance to DJ Pandemic for the Main Event. It’s at the African American Cultural Center, 980 Liberty Avenue, Downtown Pittsburgh, PA 15222. For more information, go to here.

 

Elementary, My dear Watson!

A mystery is afoot! And Sherlock Holmes is back on the case. Will it be his last? It may, since the play is called, “Sherlock’s Last Case.” It’s a spoof on the beloved characters created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. David Whalen is, once again, playing the iconic detective.  It opens, Friday, July 10. You don’t have to go to all the way to 221 B Baker Street, just go to the Charity Randall Theatre, 4301 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15224. For more information, go here.

 

Fill ‘er up!

On the eve of his birthday, Nat Paradis’ old high school flame returns for her mother’s funeral and walks into the convenience store Nat and his dad run in rural Northern Maine in “Last Gas.” John Cariani’s comedy can be found at the Little Lake Theatre, 500 Lakeside Drive, Canonsburg, PA 15317. For more information, go here.

 

 

ROBERT FRANKENBERRY – Music Director, Vocalist, Composer, Pianist, Conductor

TONIGHT: a lively cocktail conversation with the musically masterful Rob Frankenberry! Listen to “The Full Martini” – the complete unedited interview in audio podcast to hear the trouble with tenors, if capes will come back in style, and what’s on Rob’s bucket list. See the world premiere of A NEW KIND OF FALLOUT with Opera Theater Summerfest, conducted by Rob Frankenberry, composed by Gilda Lyons, libretto by Tammy Ryan, directed by Jonathan Eaton, performing July 18 – 26, 2015. www.otsummerfest.org    Continue reading “ROBERT FRANKENBERRY – Music Director, Vocalist, Composer, Pianist, Conductor”

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FREE DEVELOPMENTAL WORKSHOPS OF NEW ECO-OPERA ENGAGE AUDIENCES

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A NEW KIND OF FALLOUT by Gilda Lyons and Tammy Ryan set for World Premiere Opera Theater SummerFest 2015.

Music and theater lovers can step into the creation of a new opera during free developmental workshops of Opera Theater’s commissioned Eco-Opera, A NEW KIND OF FALLOUT, which has its world premiere in July during SummerFest. The public is invited to take part in the development of A New Kind of Fallout during a series of free pre-season public workshops and other events continuing in May and June and leading to the July 18 opening night at the Twentieth Century Club, Oakland.

Inspired by the environmental advocacy of Rachel Carson, Springdale, PA, native and scientist who wrote the ground-breaking Silent Spring, the new opera is a collaboration between composer Gilda Lyons and librettist Tammy Ryan, a playwright based in Pittsburgh. The opera’s title is quoted from Carson’s 1963 Congressional testimony in which she described the environmental threat of pesticides like DDT “a new kind of fallout”.

Jonathan Eaton, Opera Theater’s artistic and general director, is staging the new opera, with Robert Frankenberry as music director. Cast members Lara Lynn Cottrill, Christopher Scott, Daphne Alderson, and Desiree Soteres are featured on May 14 and 17 and joined by the rest of the SummerFest cast on June 27:

  •  The Pittsburgh Botanic Garden, Oakdale, Thurs., May 14 at 6 pm.
  •  Chatham University, Shadyside, Rachel Carson’s alma mater, Sun., May 17 at 2 pm in the Campbell Memorial Chapel, with a reception following.
  • Carrie Blast Furnaces, Swissvale, Sat., June 27 at 6 pm, The full cast will be featured in this final workshop, set in the dramatic Rivers of Steel Heritage Area site. Librettist Tammy Ryan and Music Director Robert Frankenberry will take part. Chairs and blankets welcome for outdoor audience seating, with limited ticketed seating available. Ticketed tours of the site will be given prior to the workshop. Food and refreshments will be on sale.

Excerpts from A New Kind of Fallout will be heard and discussed in venues relevant to the preservation of our eco-systems. Karen Jeng Lin accompanies cast members at the piano in selected scenes. Audience members take part in a discussion led by Eaton following each workshop. Feedback then continues to inform the creation of the work as produced fully for the first time in July. Workshop attendees will receive special ticket offers to attend A New Kind of Fallout during SummerFest.

All events are open to the public at no charge, with free tickets available at otsummerfest.org or (412) 326-9687. Free parking is available at each venue.

The first development workshop was held at Phippps Conservatory in February.

Additional pre-season events likewise showcase music from A NEW KIND OF FALLOUT sung by Lara Lynn Cottrill and aspects of Silent Spring with details at otsummerfest.org:

  • Rachel Carson Homestead, Sat., May 30, when excerpts of A NEW KIND OF FALLOUT will be sung by Lara Lynn Cottrill during a daytime event celebrating the author’s birthday.
  • Amiche Artists Festival, Sat., June 6, 9 am-9 pm, Irvine Park, Beaver.
  • Poets Corner, Sun., June 14, 2-3:30 pm, when the Northside arts series hosts Cottrill and music director Robert Frankenberry at the piano for a program of readings from Silent Spring and music from the new opera in the Tiffany Sanctuary of Calvary United Methodist Church. A reception follows.

A New Kind of Fallout premieres on Sat., July 18 at 7:30 pm with additional performances on Fri., July 24 at 7:30 pm; and Sun., July 26 at 2 pm. In addition to A New Kind of Fallout, Opera Theater SummerFest will feature from July 10 through August 2: operas sung in English—The Marriage of Figaro and Figaro Redux with music by Mozart and Capriccio by Richard Strauss—and the musical Damn Yankees; an International Recital Series featuring artists including countertenor Andrey Nemzer and contralto Daphne Alderson; dining options; and late night cabaret by SummerFest company members.

“This new Eco-Opera, A New Kind of Fallout, is the first in a series of commissions,” says Jonathan Eaton, the company’s artistic and general director who will stage the full production. “We envisage a series of new operas which will address critical issues we confront in our society today – hot button topics such as global warming, race relations, violence…”

Eaton stressed the importance of new compositions to the operatic form: “Opera is often viewed as something of a museum art form. We want to bring it up to date by creating new works that are relevant, provocative and important to people today.

“Each workshop will present new scenes from the opera – hot off the press – and explore the issues it raises in discussions with the artists,” Eaton says. “We think they will be fascinating to anyone who is interested in issues of the environment, in women’s role in the modern world, in creating new works – and in experiencing this in unique and beautiful spaces.”

“A New Kind of Fallout is inspired by Rachel Carson – a pioneering woman scientist whose work was instrumental in founding the Green Movement in America,” says Eaton. “She also took on a male establishment and won.  So we invited two women artists to write the opera – local star playwright Tammy Ryan has created the libretto, and Gilda Lyons is writing the music. We are thrilled with the results, and want to share sections of the work as it is created with our audiences in a series of workshops.”

With these developmental workshops of A New Kind of Fallout, SummerFest offers a wonderful opportunity to see a new opera in its early stage. With music by noted composer Gilda Lyons (Night Caps: Moonlight Suite from 2012) and a libretto by Pittsburgh playwright Tammy Ryan (A Soldier’s Heart, Lost Boy Found in Whole Foods), A New Kind of Fallout is a full-length work touching on the life of Rachel Carson, the Pittsburgh-trained scientist and author whose seminal 1962 work, Silent Spring, helped launch the environmental movement in the United States. Carson was born in nearby Springdale, PA, and attended Pittsburgh College for Women (now Chatham University).

Visit otsummerfest.org for tickets and details on all events.

Opera Theater of Pittsburgh is on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest.

Box Office: 412-326-9687  

Venue:  The Twentieth Century Club, 4201 Bigelow Blvd. at Parkman, Oakland,

Pittsburgh PA 15213.

Three cheers for horns: FOUR HORNS highlights Pittsburgh Symphony horn section

 

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PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra welcomes guest conductor Andrés Orozco-Estrada for his Heinz Hall debut in “Four Horns,” A BNY Mellon Grand Classics concert weekend, March 27-29.

Colombian-born Orozco-Estrada makes his debut with the “rock stars of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra,” the members of the orchestra’s sensational horn section. The horn section, led by William Caballero and featuring Robert Lauver, Mark Houghton and Joseph Rounds, will be highlighted as soloists in Robert Schumann’s Konzertstück, a tour de force for four French horns and orchestra.  Orozco-Estrada, the newly appointed music director of the Houston Symphony, then leads Brahms’ First Symphony, a towering masterpiece 20 years in the making.  The program opens with Mason Bates’ The Rise of Exotic Computing, which was commissioned by the Pittsburgh Symphony for the Mercury Soul event and will be receiving its Heinz Hall premiere during this concert.

Each BNY Mellon Grand Classics concert is part of the Explore & Engage program, which includes pre-concert talks, exhibits, display boards and interactive activities that illuminate the music, composers and the time in which they were created. A pre-concert talk, open to all ticket holders and led by Resident Conductor Fawzi Haimor, will occur on stage one hour prior to each concert.

The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets, ranging in price from $25.75 to $105.75, can be purchased by calling the Heinz Hall box office at 412-392-4900 or visiting pittsburghsymphony.org.

The Pittsburgh Symphony would like to recognize and thank BNY Mellon for its 2014-2015 title sponsorship of BNY Mellon Grand Classics. Fairmont Pittsburgh is the official hotel of the Pittsburgh Symphony. Delta Air Lines is the official airline of the Pittsburgh Symphony.

Andrés Orozco-Estrada, born in Colombia and trained in Vienna, is one of the most sought after conductors of his generation. At the start of the 2014-2015 season, he will took up the positions of music director of the Houston Symphony Orchestra and chief conductor of the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra. Orozco-Estrada first came to international attention in 2004, when he took over a concert with the Tonkünstler Orchestra Niederösterreich at the Vienna Musikverein.  Numerous engagements with many international orchestras followed and since then Orozco-Estrada has developed a highly successful musical partnership with the Tonkünstler Orchestra, one of the most important institutions of traditional Austrian musical culture. Since the beginning of the 2009-2010 season, Orozco-Estrada has been the music director of the Tonkünstler Orchestra, a position that he will relinquish in summer 2015. Between 2009 and 2013, Orozco-Estrada was also principal conductor at the Orquesta Sinfónica de Euskadi (Basque National Orchestra). He has made highly successful debuts with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Verbier Festival Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic and La Scala Philharmonic Orchestras. Following his debut with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in autumn 2010, Orozco-Estrada was hailed “a brilliant stand-in” (Wiener Zeitung) for Esa-Pekka Salonen and celebrated as an “eminent talent” (Die Presse). In November 2012, Orozco-Estrada stepped in once again at short notice to replace Riccardo Muti with the Vienna Philharmonic in the Musikverein.  Highlights of the current and coming seasons include debuts with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Oslo Philharmonic, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, St Louis Symphony, Philadelphia and Cleveland Orchestras. Born in 1977 in Medellín, Colombia, Orozco-Estrada began his musical studies on the violin and had his first conducting lessons at the age of 15. In 1997, he moved to Vienna where he joined the conducting class of Uroš Lajovic, pupil of the legendary Hans Swarowsky, at the renowned Vienna Music Academy and completed his degree with distinction by conducting the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra at the Vienna Musikverein. The emphasis of his artistic work lies in the Romantic repertoire and Viennese classics. At the same time, Orozco-Estrada shows a keen interest in contemporary music and regularly performs premieres of Austrian composers as well as compositions of Spanish and South American origin. Orozco-Estrada currently lives in Vienna.

The 2014-2015 Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra season is William Caballero’s 25th year as its principal horn. Before joining the Pittsburgh Symphony in May 1989, Caballero held principal horn positions with the Houston Symphony, Houston Grand Opera and Hartford Symphony. He held third horn positions with the Montreal Symphony, Montreal Opera and acting third horn with the Boston Symphony and Boston Pops. He also performed as guest principal horn with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the St. Louis Symphony. Born in New Mexico and reared in Wisconsin, Caballero’s early horn studies included working under Larry Simons, Barry Benjamin and Basil Tyler, as well as studying the piano and pipe organ. Caballero graduated from New England Conservatory in Boston where he studied with Richard Mackey and Thomas Newell of the Boston Symphony.  Caballero is the associate teaching professor of horn at Carnegie Mellon University School of Music. Previously, he held teaching positions at Indiana University Bloomington, Rice University in Houston, Texas and Duquesne University and has presented master classes throughout the world. The past two summers, he joined the faculty of the Aspen Music Festival as performer and teacher, and for the previous seven summers, Caballero was on the faculty and performed at the Pacific Music Festival in Japan.  In 2012, Caballero began collaboration with the Internet music teaching company ArtistWorks.com. His teaching website was released in September 2012 as the only complete horn teaching curriculum available via the internet. Caballero is in demand as a chamber musician collaborating with musicians such as violinists Gil Shaham, Joseph Silverstein and Philip Setzer, and pianists André Previn, Christoph Eshenbach, Orli Shaham and Andre Watts. He is a member of the Pittsburgh Symphony Brass. Recent chamber music performances include performing Brahms’ Horn Trio in E-flat major with Gil and Orli Shaham in Zankel Recital Hall, Carnegie Hall, New York and appearing several times live on National Public Radio’s “Performance Today.” This season is Caballero’s second appearance as soloist with Manfred Honeck. His first solo collaboration with Honeck was in September 2012 performing the Pittsburgh Symphony premiere of Strauss’ Horn Concerto No. 1. Previous solo performances with the Pittsburgh Symphony have included Richard Strauss’ Horn Concerto No. 2 in E-flat with Lorin Maazel; Mozart’s Horn Concerto No. 2 in E-flat with Andre Previn; Mozart Concerto fragments with Pittsburgh Symphony Concertmaster Andrés Cardenes; Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings with Stanislaw Skrowaczewski and tenor Anthony Griffey; Schumann’s Konzertstück in F, for four horns and orchestra under the baton of Sir John Elliot Gardener; and the John Williams Horn Concerto with Leonard Slatkin.  Other recent solo appearances included performances in Montenegro with Ronald Zollman and with the Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic at New York City’s Carnegie Hall.  In 1992, Caballero premiered Benjamin Lees’ Concerto for Horn and Orchestra with the Pittsburgh Symphony under the baton of Lorin Maazel. Following the performances in Pittsburgh, he performed it in Spain, Germany and England with the Pittsburgh Symphony on tour. In 1996, Caballero recorded the concerto for New World Records. Caballero holds the Anonymous Foundation Principal Horn Chair.

Robert Lauver joined the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra horn section in the 2000-01 season. Previously he was a member of the horn section of the Saint Louis Symphony since 1992, as well as the St. Louis Symphony Brass Quintet. The Columbus Symphony, Alabama Symphony, Austin Symphony, Chicago Chamber Brass and Baltimore Symphony are among the orchestras with whom Lauver has played. He attended Northwestern and Western Michigan universities.

Mark Tennyson Houghton was awarded the position of 3rd horn with Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in June 2014. Previously, he was principal horn of the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra, the Phoenix Symphony and, most recently, the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. Houghton was born in Long Beach, Calif., and raised in Keller, Texas. After some basic piano training, he began playing horn at age 12. His parents — who are professional horn players and teachers — were his first instructors. Advanced studies yielded a Bachelor of Music degree and Performer’s Certificate from the Eastman School of Music as a student of W. Peter Kurau. Other notable teachers and mentors include Gregory Hustis and William VerMeulen. Houghton has appeared with the Mimir Chamber Music Festival, Arizona Musicfest, Basically Beethoven Festival, The Hall Ensemble, Eastman Virtuosi and the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. He has toured domestically with the Eastman Wind Ensemble and abroad with the Eastman Horn Choir. In addition to his previous full-time principal horn positions, Houghton has performed as principal horn with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and the Dallas Wind Symphony. He has been a featured soloist with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, the Phoenix Symphony, the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra, the Wichita Falls Symphony Orchestra and the East Texas Symphony Orchestra, and will perform Schumann’s Konzertstuck in F for Four Horns and Orchestra, Opus 86, in March 2015 with the Pittsburgh Symphony and its internationally acclaimed horn section. Houghton was a prizewinner in the American Horn Competition and the International Horn Society’s John Hawkins Memorial Solo Competition. Houghton is part owner of Houghton Horns, a family business that specializes in high-quality instruments, services and accessories for horn players.

Horn player Joseph Rounds grew up in a musical family in a small town in Missouri where his father taught trumpet at Northwest Missouri State University and his mother taught piano. He earned a Bachelor of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music, his mother’s alma mater, where he studied horn with Verne Reynolds.  Studies continued with James Decker at the University of Southern California. Since 1987 Mr. Rounds has been a member of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra serving as Assistant Principal, second and fourth horn.  Previously, he held positions with the Sacramento Symphony and the Sacramento Chamber Orchestra. Mr. Rounds currently holds a third degree black belt from the Young Brothers Tae Kwon Do Institute under the guidance of Grand Master Young Bo Kong.

A native of Berkeley, California, violinist Nathan Olson is co-concertmaster of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, a position he assumed in 2011. In 2013, he was appointed adjunct faculty at the University of North Texas College of Music. Prior to his appointment with the DSO, Olson held the position of concertmaster with the Canton Symphony Orchestra and CityMusic Cleveland. Currently concertmaster of the Breckenridge Music Festival, he has participated in the Mainly Mozart Festival, the Bravo Vail Music Festival and the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival. Olson is a graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music’s prestigious Concertmaster Academy, where he studied with William Preucil and Paul Kantor. He has soloed with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the Canton Symphony Orchestra, the Breckenridge Music Festival Orchestra, the Cleveland Pops Orchestra, CityMusic Cleveland and the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra. An enthusiastic chamber musician, Olson served on faculty at the Innsbrook Music Festival and won the silver medal at the 2005 Fischoff International Chamber Music Competition. As a member of the Baumer String Quartet, he is on faculty with the Monterey Chamber Music Workshop and the Crowden Chamber Music Workshop. In recent seasons, Olson has appeared as guest concertmaster with the Symphony Orchestras of Toronto, Omaha and Tucson, and as principal second violin with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra.

Four Horns performs

Friday, March 27 at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 28 at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, March 29, 2:30 p.m.

Heinz Hall
PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

BNY MELLON GRAND CLASSICS: FOUR HORNS

ANDRÉS OROZCO-ESTRADA, conductor

WILLIAM CABALLERO, horn

ROBERT LAUVER, horn

MARK HOUGHTON, horn

JOSEPH ROUNDS, horn

NATHAN OLSON, guest concertmaster

            Mason Bates                              The Rise of Exotic Computing for Sinfonietta & Electronica

            Robert Schumann                       Konzertstück in F for Four Horns and Orchestra, Opus 86

                                                                        I. Lebhaft

                                                                        II. Romanze: Ziemlich langsam

                                                                        III. Sehr lebhaft

                                                                        Mr. Caballero

                                                                        Mr. Lauver

                                                                        Mr. Houghton

                                                                        Mr. Rounds

           

Johannes Brahms            Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Opus 86

                                                            I. Un poco sostenuto – Allegro

                                                            II. Andante sostenuto

                                                            III. Un poco allegretto e grazioso

                                                            IV. Adagio – Piu andante – Allegro non troppo, ma con brio

 

PHAT MAN DEE – Cosmic Jazz Chanteuse

TONIGHT: One of Pittsburgh’s most prolific sirens of song, Phat Man Dee! Her presence is as captivating in this ‘Burgh Vivant cocktail hour as it is on stage as she discusses the birth of her unique persona, revisits some of her strangest gigs, and introduces a clip from her new music video “Hey Phat Chick! (You Had it Comin’ to You!)”. Listen to “The Full Martini” – the complete, unedited interview in audio podcast for Man Dee’s musings on Star Trek, meeting Flavor Flav, musical Mary Kay parties, pancake eating contests vs. bellydancing, and her tireless social justice work. PLUS – are we alone in the universe? Ask the cosmic chanteuse! For info, CDs, and booking, visit www.phatmandee.com. Contribute to Phat Man Dee’s kickstarter campaign “Help Phat Man Dee Get Outta Tahn!” on Facebook.com/phatmandee. Continue reading “PHAT MAN DEE – Cosmic Jazz Chanteuse”

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Pittsburgh Opera announces its 77th Season

 

podcast logo          Pittsburgh Opera

Pittsburgh, PAPittsburgh Opera announces its 2015-2016 season. The season includes four operas produced at the Benedum Center, and two Resident Artist operas, including the annual production at Pittsburgh CAPA Theater and the new Second Stage Project at Pittsburgh Opera Headquarters.


PERFORMANCES

Verdi’s NABUCCO

Director and set designer Bernard Uzan conceived this visually dazzling production of Verdi’s early work, starring Mark Delavan (Rigoletto, 2013) as the troubled monarch Nabucco, and sizzling Hungarian soprano Csilla Boross as his daughter Abigaille. Depicting the story of the Jews in exile in Babylon, Nabucco’s epic scale and grandeur (including the famous chorus “Va, pensiero”) doesn’t eclipse the intimate family story that is at the heart of the opera. Nabucco is a traditional production with the added interest of large, impressive projections. Antony Walker conducts.

Mozart’s COSÌ FAN TUTTE, or The School for Lovers

Britain’s “favorite baritone” and the real-life Billy Elliot, Sir Thomas Allen, directs this playful lesson in love–and stars as Don Alfonso, who schools two young couples in fidelity.  Former Resident Artists Jennifer Holloway (Don Giovanni, 2012) and Danielle Pastin (Otello, 2014) star as Dorabella and Fiordiligi, with newcomer Hadleigh Adams as Guglielmo. This Così fan tutte is set in the Italian seaside, in a charming production from Boston Lyric Opera. Antony Walker conducts.

 

Mark Adamo’s LITTLE WOMEN

The Resident Artists of Pittsburgh Opera will star in Pittsburgh Opera’s annual production at CAPA Theater: Mark Adamo’s 1998 Little Women, based on Louisa May Alcott’s Civil War-era coming-of-age novel. Adamo’s opera has enjoyed frequent performances since its debut, including a 2001 broadcast on PBS “Great Performances.” Little Women is a new production by Pittsburgh Opera.

SECOND STAGE PROJECT: 27
The company’s Second Stage Project takes up residence for a third year in the George R. White Studio at Pittsburgh Opera Headquarters in the 2015-16 season. Starring the Resident Artists, the production is inspired by the Studio’s flexible performance space and the desire to explore adventurous repertoire. The 2016 Second Stage Project is Ricky Ian Gordon’s 27. Named for the address of Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas’s salon at 27 Rue de Fleurus in Paris, 27 is a snapshot of the women’s shared lives and their famous friends, including Picasso, Hemingway, and Matisse, who stop in to visit. 27 is a new production by Pittsburgh Opera.

Rossini’s THE BARBER OF SEVILLE

As do many comedies, The Barber of Seville begins with a fellow who’s smitten by a pretty girl. However, not many comedies have that madcap quality that has made it such a popular favorite, given the Hollywood treatment in this zany production. A stellar cast also makes this opera a “don’t miss,” including former Resident Artist Jonathan Beyer (La bohème, 2009) as Figaro, local favorite Kevin Glavin (La bohème, 2014) as Bartolo, and debuts by rising stars Emily Fons (Rosina) and Michele Angelini (Almaviva). Antony Walker conducts.

Stravinsky’s THE RAKE’S PROGRESS

Concluding the 2015-‘16 mainstage season is the landmark David Hockney production of The Rake’s Progress, now owned by Pittsburgh Opera. This fable, based on William Hogarth’s famous series of engravings of the same name, bears an impressive pedigree, not only in the Hockney sets and costumes, but in W. H. Auden’s libretto and Stravinsky’s electrifying score. Star tenor Alek Shrader debuts as Tom Rakewell, alongside Layla Claire (The Magic Flute, 2013) and David Pittsinger (The Capulets and the Montagues, 2006) as Nick Shadow. Antony Walker conducts; Roy Rallo directs.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Pittsburgh Opera’s signature fundraiser galas bookend each season: The Diamond Horseshoe Ball ramps up the excitement, and Maecenas puts on the finishing touch. The 61st annual Diamond Horseshoe Ball kicks off the 2015-‘16 season October 9, 2015, paired with Nabucco as part of a sparkling Opening Weekend. In mid-season, back by popular demand, is our splashy New Year’s Eve celebration with dinner, entertainment, and a party, on December 31, 2015 at Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland. Maecenas XXXII will carry on the tradition of Pittsburgh Top Ten parties on May 14, 2016, closing the season with panache.

FREE AND LOW-COST EVENTS

Pittsburgh Opera strives to bring opera to all members of the community and is pleased to continue offering free and low-cost events in the 2015-‘16 season. Introducing its Resident Artists to the community, Pittsburgh Opera presents Rising Stars, Sunday, September 20, 2015 in the George R. White Opera Studio of Pittsburgh Opera Headquarters (2425 Liberty Avenue). Brown Bag concerts will continue monthly during the season; the insightful Opera Up Close returns five times during the season, too.
The community is also invited to Art Song Recitals, starring the Resident Artists; these recitals are hosted by the Friends of Pittsburgh Opera. Also, the company continues Meet the Artists with  General Director Christopher Hahn, immediately following each Tuesday opera performance.

OPERA BROADCASTS/PREVIEWS

Pittsburgh Opera partners with Classical WQED FM 89.3 to broadcast its opera performances on the airwaves and via the station’s website. Beginning September 5, 2015 with Grand & Glorious, WQED FM 89.3 broadcasts the 2014-‘15 productions at 1:00 PM on consecutive Saturdays, through October 10. WQED also produces half-hour previews of each upcoming opera and broadcasts them twice before each opera’s opening. Specific opera preview dates and times will be announced soon.

TICKETS/SEASON TICKETS

As part of Pittsburgh Opera’s continued efforts to make opera accessible to all members of the community, single tickets for the 2015-‘16 season will again start at just $12. Season tickets are $43 – $671. Single ticket sales begin August 24, 2015. For additional information, call (412) 281-0912, or visit www.pittsburghopera.org.

 

 

THE OPERAS

Nabucco (1842)

By Giuseppe Verdi

Libretto by Temistocle Solera, based on Biblical episodes from the books of Daniel and Jeremiah

Sung in Italian with English texts projected above the stage

Four performances at the Benedum Center

  • Last performed at Pittsburgh Opera in 1973
  • Traditional production, from Opera Carolina

Performances of Nabucco
Saturday
, October 10, 2015 at 8:00 PM          Friday, October 16, 2014 at 7:30 PM

Tuesday, October 13, 2015 at 7:00 PM           Sunday, October 18, 2015 at 2:00 PM

 

Overview of Nabucco
Verdi’s career had just begun when his wife died and his second opera Un giorno di regno failed; he swore never to compose again, but was finally persuaded by La Scala’s impresario to read Solera’s libretto for Nabucco. It became a tremendous success: “this is the opera with which my artistic career really begins. And though I had many difficulties to fight against, it is certain that Nabucco was born under a lucky star.”This wrenching story of the plight of the Jews in Babylon, the father-daughter story at its heart, and an exciting production featuring multiple projections makes Nabucco a welcome start to the season.

Pittsburgh Opera welcomes back Mark Delavan as Nabucco, after his acclaimed appearance here as Scarpia/Tosca in 2012 and the title role in Rigoletto (2013). Red-hot Hungarian soprano Csilla Boross debuts in the demanding role of Abigaille, while former Resident Artist Oren Gradus takes the important role of the priest Zaccaria. Bernard Uzan directs; Music Director Antony Walker conducts the Pittsburgh Opera Orchestra and Chorus.

Cast and Artistic Team: Nabucco

Nabucco                                                   Mark Delavan

Abigaille                                                    Csilla Boross +

Fenena                                                     Laurel Semerdjian *

Zaccaria                                                   Oren Gradus **

Ismaele                                                     TBA

Conductor                                                 Antony Walker

Stage Director                                          Bernard Uzan

Set Designer                                             Bernard Uzan and Michael Baumgarten

Lighting Designer                                      Michael Baumgarten

Asst. Conductor                                        Glenn Lewis

Chorus Master                                          Mark Trawka
Associate Coach/Pianist                          James Lesniak

Production by Opera Carolina.

+    Pittsburgh Opera debut

*     Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artist

**   Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artist alumni

Così fan tutte, or The School for Lovers (1790)

By W.A. Mozart

Libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte

Sung in Italian with English texts projected above the stage

Four performances at the Benedum Center

  • Last performed at Pittsburgh Opera in 2006
  • Traditional production, from Boston Lyric Opera

Performances of Così fan tutte
Saturday
, November 7, 2015 at 8:00 PM        Friday, November 13, 2014 at 7:30 PM

Tuesday, November 10, 2015 at 7:00 PM       Sunday, November 15, 2015 at 2:00 PM

 

Overview of Così fan tutte
Given how popular Così fan tutte is now, it is hard to believe that it received only a few performances during Mozart’s life, partly due to the long mourning period after the death of his patron, Emperor Joseph II of Austria. Although the subject matter of testing lovers’ fidelity didn’t offend Viennese sensibilities of the time, throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries it was considered risqué. After World War II, the opera finally regained its place in the standard operatic repertoire.

Sir Thomas Allen debuts at Pittsburgh Opera in the dual role of stage director and Don Alfonso. Noted as the inspiration for “Billy Elliot,” Allen has also been called Britain’s “Favorite Baritone.” Former Resident Artist Danielle Pastin, hailed in local media for her role debut here as Desdemona/Otello (2014), returns as Fiordiligi, while another former Resident Artist Jennifer Holloway (Donna Elvira/Don Giovanni, 2012), portrays her friend Dorabella, both subjected to the test of fidelity to their lovers Ferrando and Guglielmo–with no small amount of scheming by Don Alfonso and the maid Despina (Sari Gruber, La bohème, 2014). Music Director Antony Walker conducts.

Cast and Artistic Team: Così fan tutte

Dorabella                                                  Jennifer Holloway **

Fiordiligi                                                    Danielle Pastin **

Guglielmo                                                 Hadleigh Adams +

Ferrando                                                   TBA

Don Alfonso                                              Sir Thomas Allen +

Despina                                                    Sari Gruber

Conductor                                                 Antony Walker

Stage Director                                          Sir Thomas Allen +

Set Designer                                             John Conklin
Costume Designer                                   Gail Buckley

Lighting Designer                                      Marcus Dilliard

Asst. Conductor                                        Glenn Lewis

Chorus Master                                          Mark Trawka
Associate Coach/Pianist                          James Lesniak

Production by Boston Lyric Opera.

+    Pittsburgh Opera debut

*     Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artist

**   Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artist alumni

Little Women (1998)

By Mark Adamo

Libretto by Mark Adamo, based on Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women (1868)

Sung in English with English texts projected above the stage

Four performances at CAPA Theater, 111 Ninth Street, Downtown

  • PITTSBURGH PREMIERE in a NEW PRODUCTION by Pittsburgh Opera

 

Performances of Little Women
Saturday
, January 23, 2016 at 8:00 PM          Friday, January 29, 2016 at 7:30 PM

Tuesday, January 26, 2016 at 7:00 PM           Sunday, January 31, 2016 at 2:00 PM

Overview of Little Women

Louisa May Alcott’s classic coming-of-age novel set in 1860s New England is the inspiration for Mark Adamo’s 1998 opera, which has enjoyed remarkable success, including a PBS “Great Performances” television special in 2001 and much critical acclaim, by The New York Times and others.

Pittsburgh Opera once again features its Resident Artists in major roles in a new production: Corrie Stallings takes the lead as irrepressible Jo; Laurel Semerdjian is the practical Meg; Adelaide Boedecker is the fragile Beth. Pittsburgh Opera will again partner with Carnegie Mellon School of Drama for set design of this new production. Crystal Manich (Rodelinda, 2015) directs; Glenn Lewis (Paul’s Case, 2014) conducts.

Cast and Artistic Team: Little Women

Jo                                                              Corrie Stallings *

Meg                                                          Laurel Semerdjian *

Amy                                                          TBA *

Beth                                                          Adelaide Boedecker *

Laurie                                                        Adam Bonanni *

Brooke                                                      TBA *

Friedrich Bhaer                                         Matthew Scollin *

Conductor                                                 Glenn Lewis

Stage Director                                          Crystal Manich

Director of Musical Studies                      Mark Trawka
Associate Coach/Pianist                          James Lesniak

New production by Pittsburgh Opera

+    Pittsburgh Opera debut

*     Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artist

**   Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artist alumni

 

Second Stage Project: 27 (2014)

By Ricky Ian Gordon

Libretto by Royce Vavrek

Sung in English with English texts projected above the stage

Four performances at Pittsburgh Opera Headquarters, 2425 Liberty Ave., in the Strip

  • PITTSBURGH PREMIERE in a NEW PRODUCTION by Pittsburgh Opera

Performances of 27
Saturday
, February 20, 2016 at 8:00 PM         Friday, February 26, 2016 at 7:30 PM

Tuesday, February 23, 2016 at 7:00 PM         Sunday, February 28, 2016 at 2:00 PM

Overview of 27
Debuting in June 2014 at Opera Theatre of St. Louis and composed for Stephanie Blythe, Ricky Ian Gordon’s 27 is already acclaimed for its “quick-witted libretto,” “serious fun” and “tuneful score.” 27 is named for the address of Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas’s salon at 27 Rue de Fleurus in Paris, and is a humorous snapshot of the women’s shared lives and their famous visitors, including Picasso, Hemingway, and Matisse. 27 is a new production by Pittsburgh Opera.

 

Cast and Artistic Team: 27

Gertrude Stein                                          Laurel Semerdjian *

Alice B. Toklas                                         Adelaide Boedecker *

Pablo Picasso                                           Adam Bonanni *

Leo Stein                                                  TBA *

Ernest Hemingway                                   Matthew Scollin *

Conductor                                                 TBA

Stage Director                                          Jennifer Williams *

Director of Musical Studies                      Mark Trawka
Associate Coach/Pianist                          James Lesniak

New production by Pittsburgh Opera

+    Pittsburgh Opera debut

*     Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artist

**   Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artist alumni


The Barber of Seville (Il barbiere di Siviglia) (1816)

by Giaochino Rossini

Libretto by Cesare Sterbini,

based on a play of the same title by Pierre Beaumarchais

Sung in Italian with English texts projected above the stage

Four performances at the Benedum Center

  • Last performed at Pittsburgh Opera in 2010
  • Hollywood-inspired production, set in a Sevillian movie studio

 

Performances of The Barber of Seville
Saturday
, April 2, 2016 at 8:00 PM                  Friday, April 8, 2016 at 7:30 PM

Tuesday, April 5, 2016 at 7:00 PM                   Sunday, April 10, 2016 at 2:00 PM
ALSO: Thursday, April 7: Student Matinee performance at 10:30 AM

 

Overview of The Barber of Seville

One of the wonderful things about a comic masterpiece such as The Barber of Seville is that it lends itself seamlessly to an alternate treatment. Bugs Bunny’s incredibly popular “Rabbit of Seville” is testament to that mutability, and the charming production by Vancouver Opera that comes to Pittsburgh in Spring 2016 takes the action to a movie studio in Seville, with Rosina as its resident starlet and Bartolo as the studio boss. Madcap antics ensue.

Pittsburgh Opera continues to show its pride in its former Resident Artists by bringing back Jonathan Beyer (La bohème, 2009) as Figaro, and Kevin Glavin (La bohème, 2014) as Bartolo. Michele Angelini, Emily Fons, and Brandon Cedel make debuts as Almaviva, Rosina, and Basilio. Linda Brovsky (Rigoletto, 2013) directs; Antony Walker conducts the Pittsburgh Opera Orchestra and Chorus.

Pittsburgh Opera’s annual Student Matinee will introduce 2000+ school children grades 3-12 to this lively, colorful opera on Thursday, April 7 at the Benedum Center. The Resident Artists take lead roles in the Student Matinee, and are accompanied by the Pittsburgh Opera Orchestra, in yet another opportunity to hone performance skills.

Cast and Artistic Team: The Barber of Seville

Count Almaviva                                        Michele Angelini +

Figaro                                                       Jonathan Beyer **

Rosina                                                      Emily Fons +

Bartolo                                                      Kevin Glavin **

Basilio                                                       Brandon Cedel +

Conductor                                                 Antony Walker

Stage Director                                          Linda Brovsky

Set Designer                                             Allan Stichbury

Costume Designer                                   Parvin Mrhardy

Lighting Designer                                      TBA

Asst. Conductor                                        TBA

Chorus Master                                          Mark Trawka
Associate Coach/Pianist                          James Lesniak

Original production by Vancouver Opera, now owned by Pittsburgh Opera.

+    Pittsburgh Opera debut

*     Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artist

**   Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artist alumni

The Rake’s Progress (1951)

By Igor Stravinsky

Libretto by W. H. Auden and Chester Kallman, based loosely on the engravings of

William Hogarth

Sung in English, with English texts projected above the stage

Four performances at the Benedum Center

  • Pittsburgh Opera premiere
  • Production by David Hockney

Performances of The Rake’s Progress
Saturday
, April 30, 2016 at 8:00 PM                Friday, May 6, 2016 at 7:30 PM

Tuesday, May 3, 2016 at 7:00 PM                   Sunday, May 8, 2016 at 2:00 PM

Overview of The Rake’s Progress

A simple fable that has been given “the treatment” in visual art, ballet, film, and opera, Tom Rakewell’s journey from fortunate heir to gambler to inmate at Bedlam resonates most dramatically in the hands of Igor Stravinsky, W. H. Auden, and David Hockney, who designed the sets and costumes. The stellar cast also adds shine to the Pittsburgh premiere of The Rake’s Progress. (In 2001, The Rake’s Progress was performed in Pittsburgh: an abbreviated production with a student orchestra, at Pittsburgh Opera Center. The 2016 performances will be the first that are fully-produced.)

Layla Claire, acclaimed locally as Pamina/The Magic Flute (2013), returns as Anne Trulove, alongside David Pittsinger (The Capulets and the Montagues, 2008) as Nick Shadow. Alek Shrader will bring “youthful vibrant tenor and superb vocalism” to the role of Tom Rakewell, in a Pittsburgh Opera debut. Roy Rallo directs; Music Director Antony Walker conducts the Pittsburgh Opera Orchestra and Chorus.

 

 

Cast and Artistic Team: The Rake’s Progress

Tom Rakewell                                          Alek Shrader +

Anne Trulove                                            Layla Claire

Nick Shadow                                            David Pittsinger

Baba the Turk                                           TBA

Sellem                                                      TBA

Conductor                                                 Antony Walker

Stage Director                                          Roy Rallo

Set Designer                                             David Hockney

Costume Designer                                   David Hockney

Lighting Designer                                      TBA

Chorus Master                                          Mark Trawka

Associate Coach/Pianist                          James Lesniak

Production from San Francisco Opera; production now owned by Pittsburgh Opera.


+    Pittsburgh Opera debut

*     Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artist

**   Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artist alumni

 

 

 

Tickets and Group Discounts

Pittsburgh Opera strives to make opera intellectually and financially accessible to a diverse audience and this season is proud to continue offering single tickets starting at $12. In addition to single tickets, the Opera has a wide range of season ticket options, starting at just $43.

Subscribers enjoy the benefits of:

¡  The best seats at the best prices

¡  Easy, FREE ticket exchanges

¡  Split-Pay Plan for Early Birds: up to 5 months to pay for the subscription

¡  Reserved parking at Theater Square Garage

¡  15% subscriber discount on additional single tickets to mainstage operas

¡  20% subscriber discount on the Resident Artist opera

¡  Money-Back Guarantee: – if subscribers are not satisfied with their first opera,

Pittsburgh Opera will refund the balance of the subscription

For tickets, call (412) 456-6666 or visit www.pittsburghopera.org.

Pittsburgh Opera is committed to making opera accessible to all groups in the Pittsburgh area by providing great discounts and special services to group ticketholders. Unlike the large numbers required by many other organizations, a group at Pittsburgh Opera can be as few as 6 people!  For more information about group ticket services and discounts, contact Randy Adams at (412) 281-0912, ext. 213 or groups@pittsburghopera.org.

SPECIAL EVENTS

                                                         

Rising Stars

Sunday, September 20, 2015, 6:00 PM

George R. White Opera Studio, Pittsburgh Opera Headquarters (2425 Liberty Avenue)

Pittsburgh Opera hosts its annual Rising Stars on Sunday, September 20, 2015 at 6:00 PM in the Opera’s Strip District headquarters. Rising Stars is the community’s first opportunity to meet the incoming Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artists, using the opera audition process to introduce the singers. This performance is free and open to everyone. At Rising Stars, each Resident Artist first performs a selection of his or her own choosing, followed with one chosen by General Director Christopher Hahn and Music Director Antony Walker. A final aria to conclude the concert is selected by the audience. Visit www.pittsburghopera.org or call Emily Grand at (412) 281-0912, ext. 257 for more information.

61st annual Diamond Horseshoe Ball

Friday, October 9, 2015, 7:00 PM

Location TBA

Pittsburgh Opera special events have a reputation for elegance and excitement. The annual Diamond Horseshoe Ball is its signature season kickoff gala, where guests enjoy an evening of cocktails, dinner, dancing, and special entertainment. Each year, one lucky Diamond Horseshoe Ball guest is selected at random to receive a diamond-encrusted pendant in the shape of a horseshoe. The 61st annual Diamond Horseshoe Ball will be held on Friday, October 9, 2015, at a location to be announced. Call Alli Frymoyer at (412) 281-0912, ext. 225 for more information.

 

New Year’s Eve

Thursday, December 31, 2015, 7:30 PM

Carnegie Music Hall, Oakland

Back by popular demand! This glittery event, the only one of its kind in Pittsburgh, returns to Carnegie Music Hall for dinner, entertainment and party to ring in 2015. The entertainment will feature members of the Pittsburgh Opera Orchestra and our Resident Artists, with details to be announced at a later time. Auld Lang Syne will be held on Thursday, December 31, 2014, at Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland. Call Alli Frymoyer at (412) 281-0912, ext. 225 for more information.


Maecenas XXXII

Saturday, May 14, 2016, 6:00 PM

Location TBA

Consistently hailed as one of Pittsburgh “Top Ten” parties, Pittsburgh Opera‘s Maecenas is the social event not to be missed! Named for Gaius Maecenas, the wealthy Roman

statesman and cultural patron, the Maecenas gala has developed a reputation for a spectacular environment and great entertainment. Maecenas XXXII will be held on Saturday, May 14, 2016. Specific details will be released at a later date. Call Alli Frymoyer at (412) 281-0912, ext. 225 for more information.

Art Song Recitals

Selected Sundays during the season, 2:00 PM
George R. White Opera Studio, Pittsburgh Opera Headquarters (2425 Liberty Avenue)
In the 2015-‘16 season, Pittsburgh Opera continues to present Art Song Recitals. Each recital offers one-hour performances of art song literature from a variety of composers and styles, featuring Pittsburgh Opera’s Resident Artists. Art Song recital dates, performers and selections will be released at a later date. Call (412) 281-0912, ext. 257 for more information. There is a $5 general admission fee, but Art Song Recitals are free to members of Friends of Pittsburgh Opera and to donors at $50+.

Brown Bag Concerts

Selected Saturdays during the season, 12:00 PM

George R. White Opera Studio, Pittsburgh Opera Headquarters (2425 Liberty Avenue)

Pittsburgh Opera continues its popular and free Brown Bag Concerts in 2014-‘15. Attracting an average of 157 each month, these informal performances feature the Resident Artists of Pittsburgh Opera. Beginning at 12:00 PM on selected Saturdays of each month, October 2015 – April 2016, these one-hour performances are free and open to everyone. Guests are encouraged to bring a friend and bring a lunch. Friends of Pittsburgh Opera provide a reception after each Brown Bag concert.

Brown Bag Concert Dates 2015-‘16

October 17, 2015                                February 6, 2016

November 14, 2015                            March 19, 2016

December 12, 2015                            April 6, 2016

January 9, 2016

Visit www.pittsburghopera.org or call (412) 281-0912, ext. 262 for more information about the Brown Bag Concerts.

 

Opera Up Close

Selected Sundays during the season, 2:00 PM

Pittsburgh Opera Headquarters (2425 Liberty Avenue)

Pittsburgh Opera hosts another season of its popular Opera Up Close presentations. These entertaining and insightful programs are offered five times per season in Pittsburgh Opera’s headquarters (2425 Liberty Avenue) in the Strip District. Each Opera Up Close begins with an in-depth musical analysis of the opera with Maestro Antony Walker or a guest conductor, followed by a lively panel discussion. There is a $5 general admission fee, but Opera Up Close events are free to members of Friends of Pittsburgh Opera and to donors at $50+.

Opera Up Close Dates 2015-‘16     

Nabucco September 27, 2015        27 February 14, 2016

Cosi fan tutte October 25, 2015    The Barber of Seville – March 20, 2016

Little Women – January 10, 2016     The Rake’s Progress – April 17, 2016

Visit www.pittsburghopera.org or call (412) 281-0912, ext. 262 for more information.

Meet the Artists

Ticketholders for each Tuesday opera performance are invited to join General Director Christopher Hahn immediately following the performance to enjoy lively repartee, as Mr. Hahn interviews the stars of the production. This event is free to all Tuesday opera ticketholders, and is held in the Lower Lobby for Benedum performances, in the Black Box for CAPA performances, and in the performance space at Pittsburgh Opera Headquarters.

Meet the Artists Dates 2015-‘16

Nabucco  Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Così fan tutte  – Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Little Women Tuesday, January 26, 2016 (at CAPA Theater)

27 – Tuesday, February 23, 2016 (at Pittsburgh Opera Headquarters)

The Barber of Seville Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Daughter of the Regiment Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Visit www.pittsburghopera.org or call (412) 281-0912, ext. 214 for more information.

FRIENDS of Pittsburgh Opera  Events
Friends of Pittsburgh Opera schedules events geared toward fellowship, fundraising, and opera scholarship during the year. Events for 2015-‘16 included a Holiday party, a Valentine’s Day dinner/dance party, salon-type events, and talks by opera aficionados and scholars. The schedule of 2015-’16 FRIENDS of Pittsburgh Opera events will be announced at a later time.

Additional Events

 

Pittsburgh Opera 2014-‘15 Season Performances on WQED-FM 89.3

Pittsburgh Opera, in collaboration with Classical WQED-FM 89.3, will broadcast the 2014-2015 season productions, giving listeners an opportunity to enjoy the operas all over again. For more information, call (412) 281-0912, ext. 214.


Pittsburgh Opera 2014-‘15 Opera Broadcast Dates

Grand & Glorious – September 5, 2015  Sumeida’s Song – September 26, 2015

Otello – September 12, 2015         Carmen – October 3, 2015
Rodelinda – September 19, 2015             Daughter of the Regiment – October 10, 2015

 

Pittsburgh Opera Previews on WQED-FM 89.3

Hosted by WQED’s Stephen Baum, these previews are broadcast twice before each production opens, giving listeners an in-depth introduction to the singers, music and production of each of the season’s operas. Visit the Pittsburgh Opera website after June 30 for specific dates. For more information, call (412) 281-0912, ext. 214.

 

Pre-Opera Talks

Ticketholders are invited to attend a Pre-Opera Talk one hour before each performance’s

curtain (except the Second Stage Project) in the Main Floor/Orchestra section of the Benedum Center or in the Black Box for CAPA performances. Learn about the composer, the story and some juicy details about the opera! These talks are free to all ticketholders. Visit www.pittsburghopera.org or call (412) 281-0912, ext. 234 for more information.

 

 

His Holiness, Honeck: PSO Music Director to conduct at Vatican

 

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PITTSBURGH—For the first time, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Music Director Manfred Honeck has been invited by Pope Francis to conduct music during the Papal Christmas Eve Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica on December 24.

Honeck will lead the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Et Incarnatus Est from Mozart’s Mass in C minor, a piece that was specifically requested by Pope Francis and about which he said, “It lifts you to God.”

Tens of thousands are expected to participate in the mass at the Vatican with many more tuning in via television, radio and internet. The Mass will be broadcast live beginning at 3:30 p.m. EST on EWTN TV and radio, Vatican Radio and the Vatican Youtube channel, among others.

“What a sacred honor to be invited to be part of such a blessed event, especially by Pope Francis himself,” said Honeck. “Leading this glorious musical exploration of the Incarnation of Christ in St. Peter’s Basilica during Christmas Eve mass is an experience I will treasure forever.”

During his time in Rome, Honeck will have an audience with the Pope.

Manfred Honeck has served as music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra since the 2008-2009 season. After two extensions, his contract now runs until the end of the 2019-2020 season. To great acclaim, Honeck and his orchestra perform regularly for European audiences. Since 2010, annual tour performances have led them to numerous European music capitals and major music festivals, including Rheingau Musik Festival, Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, Beethovenfest Bonn, Musikfest Berlin, Grafenegg Festival, Lucerne Festival and the BBC Proms. Several recordings, amongst them Mahler’s Symphony No. 4, which won a 2012 International Classical Music Award, are available on Japanese label Exton. Honeck’s successful work with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra is now captured by Reference Recordings. The first SACD — of Strauss tone poems — was released in fall 2013 and received rave reviews. The second recording, of Dvorak’s Symphony No. 8 and the Symphonic Suite from Janacek’s opera Jenufa, conceptualized by Honeck himself, followed in summer 2014 and was likewise enthusiastically received.  Several additional recordings are completed and it is expected that two releases will be issued per year. Born in Austria, Honeck received his musical training at the Academy of Music in Vienna. Many years of experience as a member of the Vienna Philharmonic and the Vienna State Opera Orchestra and at the helm of the Vienna Jeunesse Orchestra have given his conducting a distinctive stamp. He began his career as assistant to Claudio Abbado in Vienna. Subsequently, he was engaged by the Zurich Opera House, where he was bestowed the prestigious European Conductor’s Award in 1993. Other early stations of his career include Leipzig, where he was one of three main conductors of the MDR Symphony Orchestra and Oslo, where he assumed the post of music director at the Norwegian National Opera on short notice for a year and was engaged as principal guest conductor of the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra for several years. From 2000 to 2006, he was music director of the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Stockholm and, from 2008 to 2011, principal guest conductor of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, a position he has resumed for another three years at the beginning of the 2013-2014 season. As a guest conductor, Honeck has worked with leading international orchestras such as the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Staatskapelle Dresden, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, Accademia di Santa Cecilia Rome and the Vienna Philharmonic. Orchestras he conducted in the United States include New York Philharmonic, The Cleveland Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra and Boston Symphony Orchestra. He also is a regular guest at the Verbier Festival. In February 2013, he had his successful debut with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, the direct result of which was a CD recording together with Anne-Sophie Mutter (works of Dvorak). The current season sees returns to Bamberg, Stuttgart, Rome and New York as well as to the Vienna Symphony (a CD of works by the Strauss family was released in summer 2013) and Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. He also will conduct Tonhalleorchester Zürich and Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, amongst others. Honeck has received honorary doctorates from St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa., and, most recently, from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. He has been artistic director of the “International Concerts Wolfegg” in Germany for more than 15 years.

 

NANCY LUTZ – Artistic Director, Three Rivers Ringers

Ding-dong: ‘Burgh Vivant calling! Join us for a cocktail as we ring in the holiday season with THE THREE RIVERS RINGERS, Pittsburgh’s premier handbell ensemble! Artistic Director Nancy Lutz talks about how handbell ensembles and how Three Rivers Ringers got their start – astonishingly both in bars! And – does Brian Edward have what it takes to be a ringer? Listen to “The Full Martini” – the complete, unedited interview in audio podcast and visit www.threeriversringers.org for performance dates and locations! Continue reading “NANCY LUTZ – Artistic Director, Three Rivers Ringers”

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