Pittsburgh Opera soprano Deborah Selig performs April 8 at UW

Acclaimed Pittsburgh Opera soprano Deborah Selig performs in concert Friday, April 8, at 7:30 p.m. in the University of Wyoming Fine Arts concert hall.

Tickets cost $18 for general admission and $15 for students and senior citizens. Tickets are available at the Wyoming Union and Fine Arts Center box offices, or online at www.uwyo.edu/finearts . Call (307) 766-6666 for ticket information.

Thursday, April 7, Selig will join the UW Symphony to perform Richard Strauss's "Vier Letzte Lieder" at 7:30 p.m. in the Fine Arts concert hall.

Cedric Reverand, UW Cultural Programs director, says Selig was selected following a lengthy search for a soprano to perform with the UW Symphony Orchestra.

"And then, at the Central City Opera, we saw Deborah Selig as Zerlina in Mozart's 'Don Giovanni,'" Reverand recalls. "At the end of one of her arias, ‘Vedrai carino,' there was a huge, audible sigh from the audience. We knew we had our soprano."

One reviewer described her Zerlina as "absolutely stunning."

 Selig holds an artist's diploma from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and a B.A. degree with honors from the University of Michigan, where she majored in voice performance and English.

"Songs from the Past and Present" March 21 at UW

Works by Schumann, Bolcom and Britten-Purcell will be performed during the University of Wyoming faculty recital, "Songs from the Past and the Present" Monday, March 21, at 7 p.m. in the Fine Arts Center concert hall.

Tickets cost $7 for general admission and $5 for students and senior citizens.

The concert features performances by David Dillard, baritone, who has sung operatic roles with theaters throughout the country. He is assistant professor of voice at Southern Illinois University. Also performing will be Jennifer Leilani Erickson, soprano, a master's degree student in vocal performance at UW. She has had leading roles in UW's "Opera in a Gym," that performs for state and regional elementary schools, and was invited to sing solo with Sheridan College as a guest artist.

They will be accompanied by Brazilian pianist Rubia Santos, who has lectured and performed as recitalist, collaborative pianist and soloist in the Americas, Europe and Asia. She is a recipient of many awards in the field of collaborative piano and has conducted several research projects dealing with Brazilian art music.

Metropolitan Opera simulcasts come to Lander

New York’s Metropolitan Opera comes to Lander this month by HD satellite television, thanks to the efforts of local opera fans calling themselves Lander Met Opera and staffers at the Fremont County Library. Lander and Jackson are now the only two locations in Wyoming to receive these broadcasts. The first performance will be Gluck’s masterpiece “Iphigénie en Tauride” featuring acclaimed tenor Placido Domingo, broadcast beginning at 10:30AM, February 26, 2011, with curtain-up at 11AM.  Five more operas will be presented this season: March 19, Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti); April 9, Le Comte Ory (Rossini); April 23, Capriccio (R Strauss); April 30, Il Trovatore (Verdi); May 21, Die Walküre (Wagner). Because the Metropolitan Opera requires that each attendee pay a fee of $10 per performance, single tickets will be offered for a $10 donation, the entire amount going to the Metropolitan Opera. Lander Met Opera will also accept additional donations to help cover its own printing costs and other expenses.

Performances will be shown on a large screen in the Library’s second floor conference room until the remodeling of the Carnegie Room is completed. Lunch on the day of each performance can be pre-ordered before the performance begins at 11 AM, from the Breadboard and enjoyed during intermission (usually 30 minutes). Tickets and more information will be available shortly at Main Street Books, Cabin Fever Books and at the Library.

If you wish to receive e-mail reminders for the broadcasts, contact Marvin Brown at marvjobrown@wyoming.com. Include your name, address, phone number, and email address.

Funding for this project covering equipment purchase and installation was provided by a grant from the Wyoming Arts Council through funding from the Wyoming State Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts.  Local donors, the Fremont County Library System and the Fremont County Library Foundation matched the WAC grant.

Photo: Fremont County Library Technology Coordinator Jonmikel Pardo stands on the Library's roof with special satellite antennas he helped install to receive the Metropolitan Opera Broadcasts.

Wyomingites invited to Opera Colorado's "Puccini"

Due to a shortage of opera in Wyoming, we give a plug to a Colorado org:

This Halloween, don't be caught dead without tickets to La Bohème.

Denver [and possibly Wyoming] is falling in love with Puccini's most romantic opera and very few seats are available. Get your tickets now to experience passion in Paris at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House.

Saturday, November 6, 2010 at 7:30 pm. Only 26 seats left for Opening Night!

Tuesday, November 9, 2010 at 7:30 pm. Best seats on this night!

Friday, November 12, 2010 at 7:30 pm. Almost sold out - a few tickets left.

Sunday, November 14, 2010 at 2:00 pm. Very few tickets left - buy soon.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010 at 7:30 pm. Limited tickets but some good seats.

Buy online or call 303.468.2030 before it's too late!

La Boheme kicks off Opera Colorado season

Due to the shortage of opera in Wyoming, wyomingarts goes out of its way to list performances in adjacent states. Here's some info from Opera Colorado about its fall presentation of La Boheme:

Performances are at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House in Denver on:

Saturday, November 6, 7:30 pm
Tuesday, November 9, 7:30 pm
Friday, November 12, 7:30 pm
Sunday, November 14, 2:00 pm
Tuesday, November 16, 7:30 pm

The story of La Boheme:

A chance meeting between a young poet and the beautiful young woman next door ignites one of the most romantic love stories of all time. Love blooms under the moonlit Paris sky as Rodolfo and Mimi share their hopes and dreams. But can their love survive in the face of looming tragedy? The passion, beauty and fragility of young love comes vividly to life in Puccini’s masterpiece that has enchanted generations of opera-lovers.

The Cast and Crew

Andrew Sinclair (The Pearl Fishers, 2009) returns to Denver to direct this classic tale of love and loss. Soprano Jennifer Black makes her company debut as the seamstress Mimi. Ms. Black recently sung the role at Santa Fe Opera and has performed with the Metropolitan Opera and Los Angeles Opera. Tenor Richard Troxell also makes his company debut as the poet Rodolfo. Mr. Troxell has sung with Paris’ Opéra Comique and Los Angeles Opera.

FMI: http://www.operacolorado.org/

Cheyenne Symphony (and friends) present operatic selections April 24

The Cheyenne Chamber Singers

On April 24, 7:30 p.m., the Cheyenne Symphony (and friends) present operatic selections from Bizet's "Carmen," Verdi's "Aida," Nabucco's "Macbeth" and "Il Trovatore," Puccini's "Tosca," "La Bohème" and "Turandot," Wagner's "Tannhäuser" and "Lohengrin," and Saint-Saëns' "Samson et Delilah."

The performance will be at the Cheyenne Civic Center.

Featuring the Cheyenne Chamber Singers, Cheyenne Capital Chorale, All-City Childrens’ Chorus, U.W. Collegiate Chorale, U.W. Singing Statesmen and LCCC Cantorei Singers with special guest artists Amy Johnson, soprano, and Marc Schreiner, tenor.

This concert presents many of the greatest hits from the world of opera. Many well-known opera choruses, sung by a very large massed choir, will be featured. Come and hear the anvil chorus, the pilgrim’s chorus, the march of the Toreadors, the grand march from Aida, and others. We will welcome two outstanding opera singers to give us a taste of some of the great Puccini arias and duets. Also included are a few exciting purely orchestral selections from operas.
Listen to an excerpt from one of the selections – "Turandot" Calaf – Nessun Dorma!

Click here to read about the music and composers -- Symphony & Opera In-Concert Program Notes

FMI: http://www.cheyennesymphony.org

Tix available for tonight's Opera Colorado performance of "The Barber of Seville"

Attention opera fans in Wyoming:

It’s not too late to get tickets to tonight’s performance of "The Barber of Seville" by Opera Colorado in Denver. Performance starts at 7:30 p.m.

ACT NOW!

Friday is SOLD OUT!

Sunday is SOLD OUT!

Tonight is your LAST CHANCE to see the show audiences are saying is one of their all-time favorites.

Featuring an all-star cast! Isabel Leonard making her debut as a sparkling Rosina…Lucas Meachem as a charming Figaro…Brian Stucki as the romantic Count Almaviva…Thomas Hammons as a hilarious Doctor Bartolo…Wayne Tigges as the conniving Basilio.

Buy online or call 303.468.2030 for tickets now!

Afton offers opera in hi-def from the Met

The Star Valley Arts Council is presenting "The Metropolitan Opera Live in HD" at the Afton Civic Center in Afton.

Performances of live, professional, classic opera will come to the valley via satellite feed.

Audiences will experience a full-length production and a behind-the-scenes look during intermission.

Here's the schedule:

"Carmen" – Georges Bizet
January 16, 2010 at 11:00 am
Expected Running time: 3 hours, 30 minutes,1 intermission

"Simon Boccanegra" – Giuseppe Verdi
February 6, 2010 at 11:00 am
Expected Running time: 3 hours, 40 minutes, 2 intermissions

"Hamlet" – Ambroise Thomas
March 27, 2010 at 11:00 am
3 hours, 43 minutes, 2 intermissions

"Armida" – Gioachino Rossini
May 1, 2010 at11:00 am
Expected Running time: 4 hours, 19 minutes, 2 intermissions

FMI: http://www.starvalleyarts.org