Media Contact:
Justin Moss, jmoss@fgo.org , 305-854-1643 ext. 1600
Erin Charlton, echarlton@fgo.org , 305-854-1643 ext. 1602
Florida Grand Opera
Announces the 2008-09 Season at
The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County
and The Broward Center for the Performing Arts
Season opens with a New Production of
Verdi’s La traviata
November 15, 2008
Season highlights include Lakmé by Léo Delibes and
New Superstar Concert Series featuring Dimitri Hvorostovsky, Marcello Giordani and
Bryn Terfel
Debuts include
Latina Sopranos Eglise Gutiérrez & Ailyn Pérez
Celebrated Tenor Stephen Costello
March 3, 2008 - Miami, FL – Florida Grand Opera (FGO) will open its 68th season of grand opera on
November 15, 2008 with a new production of Verdi’s La traviata, directed by Bliss Hebert with sets
and costumes designed by Allen Charles Klein, whose production of Verdi’s Aïda opened FGO’s
inaugural season at Carnival Center (now the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of
Miami-Dade County) in October 2006.
La traviata, based on the Alexandre Dumas play La dame aux camellias, tells the story of Violetta
Valéry, a courtesan who finds true love and is then forced to make a terrible sacrifice by an
unforgiving society. Alternating in the role of Violetta Valéry are sopranos Eglise Gutierrez and
Ailyn Pérez. Opera News recently featured an article on Ms. Gutierrez which stated, “The tiny
Cuban-American soprano combines her vocal acuity with an emotional presence and a Method-like
ability to listen moment-to-moment that makes her an opera-lover’s (and a theater-lover’s) dream.”
Ms. Gutierrez is a rising star of the international opera world only four years after making her
professional debut as Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor in Bogotá, Colombia. This season she sings
Amina in La sonnambula at Carnegie Hall with the Opera Orchestra of New York, makes her Seattle
Opera debut as Elvira in I Puritani, has her Baltimore Symphony debut in Handel’s Messiah, returns to
Michigan Opera Theatre as Amina in La sonnambula, and makes her debut at the Palacio de Bellas
Artes in Mexico City as Lucia di Lammermoor.
Previous engagements include Gilda in Rigoletto for the Teatro Verdi di Trieste and the Israel
Philharmonic Orchestra, Mendelssohn’s Elijah with the Utah Symphony Orchestra, Liu in Turandot
with Michigan Opera Theater, and the title roles in Donizetti’s Maria di Rohan and Lucia di
Lammermoor for the Savonlinna Opera Festival in Finland. Future seasons bring the soprano to Teatro
Real in Madrid as Elvira in I Puritani opposite Juan Diego Flórez, to Seattle Opera as Violetta in La
traviata and Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor, and to Hamburg State Opera and Vancouver Opera as
Gilda in Rigoletto.
Ailyn Pérez has been praised by Opera News as “. . . a magnificently assured artist, with ample vocal
resources and a magnetic stage presence.” Her vocal luster has made her one of the most promising
and exciting young artists today. Most recently, she made her debut with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis
as Violetta in La traviata and with Boston Lyric Opera as Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro. She has
recently sung with Los Angeles Opera as Amor in the world premiere of Lee Holdridge’s Concierto
para Mendez, with Opera Carolina as Gilda in Rigoletto, and she sang in a 7-city tour of the United
States and Mexico with Andrea Bocelli.
She joins the roster of the Metropolitan Opera in the 2007-2008 season for The Marriage of Figaro
and Hansel und Gretel. Future engagements include Juliette in Roméo et Juliette at the 2008 Salzburg
Festival, Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro and Adina in L’elisir d’amore with Michigan Opera
Theater, Leila in Les pêcheurs de perles with the Teatro Municipal in Chile, Marguerite in Faust with
Opera Carolina and San Diego Opera.
Tenor Stephen Costello, who was recently seen at the Metropolitan Opera as Edgardo in Lucia di
Lammermoor, will make his FGO debut as Alfredo in La traviata. Companies around the world have
moved quickly to engage this 26-year-old Philadelphia-born tenor. He recently performed the role of
Christian in David DiChiera’s new opera Cyrano with Opera Company of Philadelphia and future roles
include Cassio in a new production of Otello at the Salzburg Festival under the baton of Riccardo
Muti, the Duke in Rigoletto with Deutsche Oper Berlin, a debut with Lyric Opera of Chicago, Camille
in The Merry Widow with Dallas Opera, Nadir in Les pêcheurs de perles with the Teatro Municipal in
Chile, and Roméo in Roméo et Juliette with Baltimore Opera. Mr. Costello returns to London in 2008
for another recital with Ailyn Pérez on the Rosenblatt Series.
Also making his FGO debut in the role of Alfredo is young Italian-American tenor Leonardo
Capalbo, who is quickly establishing himself as a leading tenor with performances at New York City
Opera, Berlin Staatsoper Unter den Linden, and the Dresden Semperoper. Of a Holland Park
performance of Verdi’s Macbeth in London, the Independent reported, “All eyes and ears, though,
should be on the young tenor Leonardo Capalbo. It’s not often Macduff steals the show, but Capalbo
did it with his one number. Star quality, no question.”
Baritones Luis Ledesma and Mark Walters will alternate singing the role of Germont. Mr. Ledesma
has sung with companies including Houston Grand Opera, Portland Opera, Connecticut Opera, Opera
Pacific, Minnesota Opera, and New York City Opera among others. Recent engagements included
Scarpia in Tosca for Palm Beach Opera, tours with Andrea Bocelli (and soprano Ana Maria Martinez),
and performances at Madison Square Garden. Mr. Ledesma concludes this season with concerts for
Washington National Opera conducted by Plácido Domingo. Hailed as an outstanding singing actor,
baritone Mark Walters has performed with companies including Baltimore Opera, Opera Memphis,
Nashville Opera, Anchorage Opera, among others.
Stefan Lano, Music Director of the prestigious Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, Argentina, will make
his FGO conducting debut. Mr. Lano began his career first as a composer, and was awarded a full
2
scholarship for study at Harvard University from which he obtained a Ph.D. in Composition. In
addition to his work at the Teatro Colón, he has conducted productions for The Metropolitan Opera,
San Francisco Opera, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, the Cincinnati Opera, Houston Grand Opera,
Michigan Opera Theater, and the Opera Company of Philadelphia.
This new production of La traviata is made possible by a generous gift in honor of Audrey Love from
the Audrey Love Charitable Foundation.
The season continues in January 2009 with La Cenerentola, Rossini’s beloved opera based on the
story of Cinderella. Mezzo-soprano Jennifer Rivera will perform the title role, sharing it with mezzo
Julie Boulianne. They will be joined in all performances by French-Canadian tenor Frédéric Antoun
as Prince Ramiro. Ms. Rivera’s performances at New York City Opera have earned praise from the
New York Times, which stated that she sang “marvelously, with richness, ease, and exactness.” Of Ms.
Boulianne, the Washington Post recently stated that “Boulianne, an appealing singer, possessed an
emotionally engaging voice of richness and lustrous purity.” Mr. Antoun is becoming a highly soughtafter performer, and his recent performance of Roméo in Roméo et Juliette for the Opera Theatre of
Saint Louis was praised by the New York Times for its crisp diction and elegance. Of his performance
as the Prince in Massenet’s Cendrillon at New York City Opera, Anthony Tommasini wrote in the
New York Times that “Mr. Antoun, a dashing Canadian tenor, was a sweet-voiced and ardent prince.”
This production of La Cenerentola was designed for Baltimore Opera by Gary Eckhert, with costumes
by John Lehmeyer.
Jennifer Rivera has been rapidly earning recognition as a superb lyric mezzo soprano and both the New
York Times and the New York Sun have greeted her as “someone to watch.” Ms. Rivera has been heard
in various roles with New York City Opera including Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro, Lazuli in
Chabrier’s L’Etoile, Hansel in Hansel und Gretel, Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Meg in Little
Women, and Myrrhine in Lysistrata. She recently created the role of Sharon Falconer in the World
Premiere of Elmer Gantry with Nashville Opera, and will be returning to Opera Columbus for La
Cenerentola, and singing Nerone in Agrippina at New York City Opera. Ms. Rivera will make her
Italian debut in the spring of 2008 at the Teatro Regio di Torino as Sesto in La clemenza di Tito, a role
she will repeat with Opera di Bologna.
Julie Boulianne is one of today's most promising young Canadian lyric artists. Her musical intelligence
and great sensitivity have earned her a number of honors. Recent operatic engagements include
Nicklausses in The Tales of Hoffman at Opéra de Québec, Annio in La clemenza di Tito at Opéra de
Montréal, Zerlina in Don Giovanni at the Opéra d’Avignon and Zweite Dame in Die Zauberflöte at the
Théâtre de Reims. She appeared in concert with various Canadian orchestras including the Orchestre
Métropolotain du Grand Montréal, the Orchestre Symphonique de Québec and Les violons du Roy.
Joel Revzen, Artistic Director of Arizona Opera since 2003 and a member of the Metropolitan Opera
conducting staff since 1999, will make his FGO conducting debut in La Cenerentola. His many guest
conducting engagements around the world have included the Kirov Opera in St. Petersburg, the Prague
Symphony Orchestra, the National Symphony and Washington National Opera. He served as
Assistant Conductor of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra from 1984 through 1989, and Artistic
Director of the Berkshire Opera from 1991 through 2003.
Soprano Leah Partridge, an FGO favorite, will return in February in a production of Léo Delibes’
Lakmé, which was last performed by FGO in 1964. Lakmé is set in British Colonial India, where a
cross-cultural love affair dooms the daughter of a Brahmin priest. This exotic and colorful setting is
beautifully realized in the duet, “Dôme épais,” and Lakmé’s famous “Bell Song,” with its tinkling
3
coloratura. Sharing the role of Lakmé with Ms. Partridge is soprano Evelyn Pollock, making her FGO
debut. Leah Partridge’s roles with FGO have included Violetta in La traviata, Lucia in Lucia di
Lammermoor, Gilda in Rigoletto, and most recently Amina in last season’s La sonnambula. She
recently appeared with Michigan Opera Theater as Roxanne in the world premiere of Cyrano, by
David DiChiera, and makes her Metropolitan Opera debut this season in its new production of
Britten’s Peter Grimes. Celebrated baritone Aaron St. Clair Nicholson, who has appeared with FGO
as Mozart’s Papageno and Rossini’s Figaro, joins the cast of Lakmé as Frederic. This production is
jointly owned by Opéra de Montréal and Opera Australia.
Lyric coloratura soprano Evelyn Pollock is a prominent emerging artist in both America and Europe.
Having performed over 35 diverse leading roles, Ms. Pollock’s repertory continues to expand. Last
season she made her European debut in Sankt Gallen, Switzerland, thrilling audiences and critics in the
title role in Lucia di Lammermoor. She also rejoined Michigan Opera Theater as one of the creators of
the role of Roxanne in David DiChiera's World Premiere of Cyrano. She recently returned to St.
Gallen to sing Micaëla in Carmen, after which she appeared with the Opera Company of Philadelphia
to perform Roxanne in the East Coast premiere of Cyrano.
Aaron St. Clair Nicholson has established himself as an artist of the first rank, winning praise for his
superb vocal gifts and the dramatic integrity he brings to his performances. Writing in the San
Francisco Chronicle, Joshua Kosman singled him out, noting that “…as Ford, baritone Aaron St. Clair
Nicholson gave a virtuosic display of vigorous full-throated singing and all out physical comedy.” Last
season Mr. Nicholson made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Schaunard in La bohème conducted by
Plácido Domingo and followed those performances with Papageno in Die Zauberflöte conducted by
James Levine. Recent engagements included the title role in Don Giovanni for Opéra de Montréal,
Valentin in Faust for Vancouver Opera, Mercutio in Roméo et Juliette for Opera Lyra, Ontario, and
Fauré’s Requiem for the Atlanta Symphony, a work he performed at Festival Lanaudiere in Québec.
Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro returns to FGO in March. This masterpiece, which premiered in
1786 with sustained music of the highest quality and a revolutionary plot, is one of the greatest operas
ever written. Performances of the Beaumarchais play of 1784, on which the opera is based, were
forbidden in pre-revolutionary France, but even Marie Antoinette had a reading of the play secretly
given at Versailles. The servants are presented as better people than their master, and Napoleon once
said that the play was one of the single most important catalysts that led to the French Revolution.
The Marriage of Figaro contains many of the most famous arias, duets, and ensembles in all of opera.
Baritones Andrew Oakden and Keith Miller make their FGO debuts as Figaro, and sopranos Lauren
Skuce and Arianna Wyatt will share the role of Susanna. Soprano Kelly Kaduce returns to FGO as
the Countess Almaviva following her 2007 triumph in the title role of David Carlson’s Anna Karenina.
She will alternate in the role with soprano Elizabeth Caballero, Mimì in FGO’s 2008 production of
Puccini’s La bohème. David Pittsinger (Scarpia in FGO’s 2008 Tosca) returns in the role of Count
Almaviva, along with Aaron St. Clair Nicholson, who also appears in the earlier production of
Lakmé. Stewart Robertson will conduct, and Stephen Lawless will direct.
Baritone Andrew Oakden continues to garner critical acclaim in opera houses across the United States
and made his New York City Opera mainstage debut this season performing the roles of Alfio in
Cavalleria Rusticana and Tonio in Pagliacci. This past winter he sang several performances of
Marcello in La bohème with Sarasota Opera and recently made his Fort Worth Symphony debut in the
role of Papageno in Die Zauberflöte.
4
Keith Miller has appeared at The Metropolitan Opera over the past two season in productions of
Madama Butterfly, War and Peace, Ernani, Macbeth, Rigoletto, Faust, and Gianni Schicchi, among
others. He is a recent graduate of the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, and prior to pursuing his
career as a singer, Mr. Miller played professional football for 5 years.
Lauren Skuce is noted for her versatility on both the opera and concert stage, and is acknowledged as
one of today's rising young artists. She created the role of Heloise in the world premiere of Stephen
Paulus' Heloise and Abelard with the Juilliard Opera Center and portrayed Ophelia in Hamlet with
Opera Theatre of Saint Louis to immense critical acclaim. As a 2007 fellow of the Tanglewood Music
Center, she sang Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte under James Levine. Of that appearance the New York
Times observed, "Ms. Skuce gave a splendid performance, singing with warm, rich tone and endless
agility."
According to Opera News, Kelly Kaduce is swiftly gaining national recognition for her “plangent,
amber-toned soprano, glamour girl looks and artless, affecting dramatic style.” Ms. Kaduce has
garnered thunderous praise for her stage portrayals, most recently for her star-making turn in David
Carlson's Anna Karenina for Florida Grand Opera and Opera Theater of St. Louis. This season she
makes her debut with Opera Pacific in her signature role of Mimì in La bohème paced by Maestro
Eduardo Müller, and returns to Sweden’s Malmö Opera as Marguerite in Faust, to Minnesota Opera in
her first assumption of the title role in Rusalka, and to Opera Theatre of St. Louis in the title role of
Madama Butterfly. In recital, she performs at St. Olaf College and (with baritone Lee Gregory) at
Bates College and will present a Vocal Master Class at San Diego State University.
Elizabeth Caballero was recently praised by Steven Smith of the New York Times for providing "the
evening's most show-stopping performance...offering a thrilling balance of pearly tone, exacting
technique and brazen physicality." Highlights of Ms. Caballero's 2007-2008 season include her return
to New York City Opera, where she appears as Nedda in a new production of Pagliacci and reprises
her popular Musetta in La bohème. This season Ms. Caballero makes numerous important debuts: at
Carnegie Hall as Lisa in La sonnambula with Opera Orchestra of New York; at San Antonio Opera as
Adina in L’elisir d’amore, directed by Garry Marshall, and at New Jersey Opera Theater as Violetta in
La traviata. In addition, she makes her international debut as Magda in La rondine at Teatro Giuseppe
Verdi in Trieste, Italy.
David Pittsinger has been heard as Nick Shadow in Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress in Hamburg,
Brussels, Paris, Bordeaux, Vienna, Cologne, and Lausanne; as Don Giovanni for New York City
Opera, Opera Company of Philadelphia, Vancouver Opera, and L'Opéra de Nice; and as Gounod's
Mephistopheles for the Opera Company of Montreal, Italy's Macerata Opera, the Opera Theater of St.
Louis, Pittsburgh Opera, and Calgary Opera. At the Metropolitan Opera, Pittsinger made his debut as
Truelove in a new production of The Rake's Progress conducted by James Levine and as Colline in La
bohème. Of Mr. Pittsinger’s portrayal of the Friar in Verdi's Don Carlo under the baton of MyungWhun Chung, James Keller of Opera News wrote, "...his gorgeous tone and elegant phrasing sent me
scrambling for my program to see who this marvelous singer could be."
The season concludes with Puccini’s Madama Butterfly in April and May. Of all his operatic
heroines, Puccini claimed that Cio-Cio-San (Madama Butterfly) was his favorite. For the brash
American Lieutenant Benjamin Franklin Pinkerton, it was a moment of euphoric pleasure. For her it
meant a lifetime of love and devotion. Family, fortune, and honor—poor Butterfly forsakes them all
for the officer who will abandon her for a “respectable” American wife. Chinese soprano Shu-Ying Li
and Fort Lauderdale native Adina Aaron will make their FGO debuts as Cio-Cio-San. Shu-Ying Li
will appear in the same role with New York City Opera for the March 20, 2008 Live From Lincoln
5
Center broadcast on PBS. James Valenti, who was Edgardo in FGO’s 2005 Lucia di Lammermoor and
appears as Rodolfo in FGO’s 2008 La bohème, is her Pinkerton in the broadcast. Soprano Adina
Aaron recently excelled as Aïda in Franco Zeffirelli’s new production of Aïda in Busseto. Her other
roles include Tosca, Gilda in Rigoletto, Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte, and Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus.
Tenor Arnold Rawls, who has appeared with FGO as Radames in the 2006 Aïda and as Cavaradossi in
the 2008 Fort Lauderdale performances of Tosca, will sing the role of Pinkerton and American soprano
Kathryn Goeldner will make her FGO debut as Suzuki.
This season Mr. Rawls sings the role of Des Grieux in Manon Lescaut with The Metropolitan Opera,
and he will be also be heard in the role of San-Lui in Franco Leoni's L'Oracolo with the Teatro
Grattacielo in New York City's Avery Fisher Hall. Future seasons find Mr. Rawls returning to the
Bregenzer Festival as Radames in Aïda, as well as singing Manrico in Il Trovatore with the Seattle
Opera, Riccardo in Un Ballo in Maschera with the Des Moines Metro Opera, and both Turiddu in
Cavalleria Rusticana and Canio in I Pagliacci with Lyric Opera of Chicago.
American mezzo-soprano Katharine Goeldner has established herself as one of the most exciting and
versatile artists of her generation. Following her critically acclaimed Metropolitan Opera debut in
Lulu, with James Levine conducting, she was immediately reengaged to sing Cherubino in The
Marriage of Figaro and Ascanio in a new production of Benvenuto Cellini, both under the direction of
James Levine. Engagements this season include her Santa Fe Opera debut as Dorabella in Così fan
tutte; her return to New York City Opera as Erika in Vanessa; and the role of the Composer in Ariadne
auf Naxos with the Salzburger Landestheater.
FGO’s highly anticipated new Superstar Concert Series premieres on Saturday, January 3, 2009 at
the Knight Concert Hall at the Adrienne Arsht Center. Last summer, General Director Robert Heuer
invited Judy Drucker to join the company as Senior Artistic Advisor and to help him create this new
series featuring the world’s great opera singers. The series consists of three thrilling concerts with full
orchestra accompaniment and will feature some of the greatest male voices of today, paired with
thrilling Metropolitan Opera divas. Internationally acclaimed Russian baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky
will inaugurate the series alongside soprano Ekaterina Siurina, conducted by Constantine Orbelian.
Praised for his innate sense of musical line and natural legato, Dmitri Hvorostovsky has performed at
the world’s major opera houses and concert halls, including the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden,
The Metropolitan Opera, L’Opera de Paris, Teatro alla Scala, Vienna State Opera, and Lyric Opera of
Chicago; Wigmore Hall, London; Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh; Carnegie Hall, New York; Tchaikovsky
Conservatoire, Moscow; the Liceu, Barcelona; the Suntory Hall, Tokyo; and the Musikverein, Vienna.
He also regularly performs in concert with top orchestras including New York Philharmonic and the
Rotterdam Philharmonic, under the direction of such illustrious conductors as James Levine, Bernard
Haitink, Claudio Abbado, Lorin Maazel, Zubin Mehta, Yuri Termikanov and Valery Gergiev.
Soprano Ekaterina Siurina made her Metropolitan Opera debut in 2006 as Gilda in Rigoletto. Career
highlights for Ms. Siurina include Adina in L’elisir d’amore with Deutsche Oper Berlin and Hamburg
State Opera, Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro at Teatra alla Scala, Giulietta in I Capuleti e i
Montecchi with Montpellier Opera and in Liège, Ilia in Idomeneo at the Salzburg Festival, and Najade
in Ariadne auf Naxos with Paris’s Bastille Opera and in Berlin. She has also appeared in concert in
performances of Carmina Burana with the London Philharmonic and the Danish Philharmonic.
The brilliant pianist and conductor Constantine Orbelian is the first American ever to become music
director of an ensemble in Russia. His appointment in 1991 as Music Director of the celebrated
6
Moscow Chamber Orchestra was a breakthrough event, and came in the midst of Orbelian's successful
career as a concert pianist. In September, 2000, Orbelian was named Permanent Guest Conductor of
the Moscow Philharmonic, putting him in a unique leadership position with not only Moscow's
outstanding chamber orchestra but also its most illustrious symphony orchestra. In January 2004
President Putin awarded Orbelian the coveted title "Honored Artist of Russia," a title never before
bestowed on a non-Russian citizen.
FGO’s sumptuous Superstar Concert Series continues on March 9, 2009 with leading Metropolitan
Opera tenor Marcello Giordani. He will be joined by South Florida favorite soprano Leah
Partridge, who also performs the title role of Lakmé in the mainstage season. Internationally
acclaimed conductor and composer Steven Mercurio will conduct.
In high demand by the world’s leading opera houses and symphony orchestras, Marcello Giordani was
recently hailed by Opera News as, “. . . arguably, the leading tenor of his generation.” He opened the
Metropolitan Opera's 2007-2008 season as Edgardo in a new production of Donizetti's Lucia di
Lammermoor by Tony Award winner, director Mary Zimmerman. In addition to his Metropolitan
Opera performances, Mr. Giordani made his debut in Verdi's La Forza del Destino with the Maggio
Musicale Fiorentino, in Florence, Italy, under the direction of Zubin Mehta. He returns to the
Metropolitan Opera this year in a revival of Puccini's Manon Lescaut and will make his debut in the
title role of Verdi's Ernani, in a production which has not been heard at the Met since 1985.
Maestro Steven Mercurio’s versatility encompasses the symphonic and operatic worlds. For the stage,
he has conducted more than forty-five different operas in six different languages. His engagements
have taken him to many of the world’s most loved opera houses including the Teatro dell’Opera,
Roma; Teatro Bellini, Catania; Teatro Filarmonico, Verona; Teatro Reggio, Torino; Theatre de la
Monnaie in Brussels, Bonn Opera, Teatro Massimo, Palermo; Teatro Verdi, Trieste; as well as the
English National Opera, San Francisco Opera, Washington National Opera, Seattle Opera, Michigan
Opera Theatre, Opera Pacific, and Dallas Opera. He last appeared with FGO as conductor for Verdi’s
Otello in 2000.
Maestro Mercurio has conducted opera and symphony pieces for several telecasts including the
“Christmas in Vienna” series with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra for Sony Classical highlighted by
the 1999 concert featuring, “The Three Tenors.” He also conducted the now classic PBS broadcast
special, “American Dream – Andrea Bocelli’s Statue of Liberty Concert,” with the New Jersey
Symphony Orchestra. Also for PBS, Maestro Mercurio led the 20th Anniversary Richard Tucker
Opera Gala with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.
The star-studded concert series will conclude on April 6, 2009. This performance will feature
Grammy Award winning Welsh baritone Bryn Terfel, whose combination of a great voice,
immaculate diction, commanding stage presence and flair for acting has made him an international
success in opera throughout the world. Captivating soprano Sarah Coburn and FGO Music Director
Stewart Robertson will complete the cast.
Bryn Terfel's signature roles include Figaro in The Marriage of Figaro and the title role in Verdi's
Falstaff. In 2004 he made his debut as Wotan in Wagner's “Ring Cycle” at the Royal Opera House,
Covent Garden, to rave reviews from the music press, including "In his first Wotan, Bryn Terfel fulfills
his destiny as an operatic singer" (Rupert Christiansen, Daily Telegraph).
Praised as "blissfully sublime" by Opera News, Sarah Coburn is captivating audiences with her
"precision placement, mercury speed, and a gorgeous liquid gold tone, gilded by a thrilling top and
7
bottom register" (The Globe and Mail). Sarah Coburn's 2007-08 season includes the role of Asteria in
Tamerlano with Washington National Opera, the title role of Lakmé with Tulsa Opera and the role of
Princess Yue-yang in the revival of The First Emperor at the Metropolitan Opera. Last season Ms.
Coburn created the role of Kitty in FGO’s world premiere of Anna Karenina, and then performed the
role with Opera Theatre of St. Louis.
Stewart Robertson has served for the past ten seasons as Music Director of Florida Grand Opera,
conducting twenty-eight productions, encompassing more than one hundred performances. He has
brought to his position an active involvement with new music combined with his great love of the
works by Mozart, Britten, Puccini, and Strauss. Maestro Robertson’s 2005 recording of Sir Richard
Rodney Bennett’s The Mines of Sulphur was released to great critical acclaim, culminating in a
prestigious Grammy Award nomination for best opera recording. Mo. Robertson’s recording with the
Utah Symphony of the symphonic works of David Carlson was also released on New World Records,
and he has conducted New York City Opera productions that were nationally televised on “Live from
Lincoln Center.” In addition to being an active pianist, Mo. Robertson is a broadcast writer and
lecturer on music who has been seen and heard on National Public Radio, Public Broadcasting System,
BBC, and Swiss-Italian radio and television.
Ticket Information
Season tickets for Florida Grand Opera start at $40. Single tickets for main stage performances
range from $10 to $250. Concert series tickets range from $10 to $140. For tickets, call 1-800-7411010 or visit www.fgo.org.
Superstar Concert Series tickets are available only to FGO subscribers until September 2, 2008,
when single tickets go on sale.
About Florida Grand Opera
Florida Grand Opera was formed in June 1994 by the merger of Greater Miami Opera, founded in 1941, and The Opera
Guild Inc., of Fort Lauderdale, founded in 1945. Celebrating its 67th season of continuous performances, Florida Grand
Opera stands as one of the oldest performing arts organizations in Florida. In addition to producing standard repertoire,
Florida Grand Opera also presents lesser known operas, as well as commissions and produces new operas. Annually,
performances are attended by over 110,000 people, and education and outreach programs serve over 50,000 students. FGO
offers several highly successful outreach and educational programs, including its internationally-recognized Young Artist
Studio. Founded in 1984, the program attracts young singers who train and enhance their professional skills during a 35week Miami residency.
Florida Grand Opera is sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the
Florida Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Funding for this organization is provided, in part, by the
Broward County Board of County Commissioners as recommended by the Broward Cultural Council and by the Greater
Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau. Additional support is provided by the Miami-Dade County Department of
Cultural Affairs, the Cultural Affairs Council, the Mayor and the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners.
Program support is provided by the City of Miami Beach, Cultural Affairs Program, Cultural Arts Council. Florida Grand
Opera is a Resident Company of the Carnival Center for the Performing Arts and a member company of OPERA America.
###
Florida Grand Opera Cast List
*= Debut; ◘ = Former Young Artist; ♦Current Young Artist
2008-2009 Season Programs______________________________________________________
8
La traviata by Giuseppe Verdi
Sung in Italian with English and Spanish surtitles
*New Production
The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County
November 15 at 7 p.m. – Opening Night
November 21, 22, 25, 29 at 8:00 p.m.
November 23 matinee at 2:00 p.m.
Broward Center for the Performing Arts
December 4, 5, 6 at 8 p.m.
Conductor…..…………………………………………………………………………………………...Stefan Lano
Director………………………………………………………………………………..Bliss Hebert
Set Designer…………………………………………………………………...Allen Charles Klein
Costume Designer……………………………………………………………..Allen Charles Klein
Lighting Designer……………………………………………………………………Thomas Hase
Co-Production…………………………………………..Florida Grand Opera & Cincinnati Opera
Violetta………………............................Eglise Gutierrez* (November 15, 21, 23M, 29, December 5)
Violetta……………………………………………………………………………….Ailyn Perez*
Alfredo ………………………………..Stephen Costello* (November 15, 21, 23M, 29, December 5)
Alfredo………………………………………………………………………...Leonardo Capalbo*
Germont…………......................................Luis Ledesma* (November 15, 21, 23M, 29, December 5)
Germont…………..………………………………………………………………...Mark Walters*
This new production of La traviata is made possible by a generous gift in honor of Audrey Love from
the Audrey Love Charitable Foundation.
La Cenerentola by Gioachino Rossini
Sung in Italian with English and Spanish surtitles
The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County
January 24 at 7 p.m. – Opening Night
January 27, 28, 30, 31
January 25 matinee at 2 p.m.
Broward Center for the Performing Arts
February 5,7 at 8 p.m.
Conductor……………………………………………………………………………...Joel Revzen
Director……………………………………………………………………………………..Ira Siff
Set Designer………………………………………………………………………….Gary Eckhart
Costume Designer………………………………………………………………….John Leymeyer
Lighting Designer……………………………………………………………….Gordon W. Olson
Production……………………...............................................................................Baltimore Opera
Clorinda…………………………................................................................................Nili Riemer*
Cenerentola……………………………………....Jennifer Riviera* (January 24, 27, 30, February 7)
Cenerentola……………………………………………………………………..Julie Bouliamme*
Don Magnifico…………………………………………………………….……Gaetan Laperriere
Don Ramiro……………………………………………………………………...Frederic Antoun*
Dandini……………………………………………………………………………….Marion Pop*
9
Lakmé by Léo Delibes
Sung in French with English and Spanish surtitles
Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts
February 21 at 7 p.m. – Opening Night
February 24, 25, 27, 28 at 8 p.m.
February 22 matinee at 2 p.m.
Broward Center for the Performing Arts
March 5,7 at 8 p.m.
Conductor………………………………………………………………………Stewart Robertson
Director………………………………………………………………………………..Adam Cook
Set Designer………………………………………………………………………Mark Thompson
Costume Designer………………………………………………………………...Mark Thompson
Lighting Designer…………….…………………………………………………Gordon W. Olson
Production…………………….……………………………Opéra de Montréal & Opera Australia
Lakmé………….......................................................Leah Partridge ◘ (February 21, 24, 27, March 5)
Lakmé…………….................................................................................................Evelyn Pollock*
Frederic……............................................................................................Aaron St. Clair Nicholson
Gerald…………………………..................................................TBA (February 21, 24, 27, March 5)
Gerald…………………………………………………………………………………………TBA
Nilakantha……………………………………………………………………………Burak Bilgili
Mrs. Benson………………………………………………………………………..Dorothy Byrne
The Marriage of Figaro by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Sung in Italian with English and Spanish surtitles
Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County
March 21 at 7 p.m. – Opening Night
March 24, 25, 27, 28
March 22 matinee at 2 p.m.
Broward Center for the Performing Arts
April 2, 3, 4 at 8 p.m.
Conductor…………………….............................................................................Stewart Robertson
Director…………………………………………………………………………...Stephen Lawless
Set Designer……………………………………………………………………...Benoit Dugardyn
Costume Designer………………………………………………………………...Johann Stegmeir
Lighting Designer……………………………………………………………………….Ken Smith
Production…………………………………………..Florida Grand Opera & Glimmerglass Opera
Figaro…………………………………………………Andrew Oakden* (March 21, 24, 27, April 3)
Figaro……...................................................................................................................Keith Miller*
Susanna …………………………………………………Lauren Skuce* (March 21, 24, 27, April 3)
Susanna…………………………………………………………………………...Arianna Wyatt ◘
Count………………………...........................................David Pittsinger (March 21, 24, 27, April 3)
Count………………………………………………………………....Aaron Saint Clair Nicholson
Countess…………………………………………………..Kelly Kaduce (March 21, 24, 27, April 3)
Countess……………………………………………………………………..Elizabeth Caballero ◘
10
Bartolo………………………………………………………………………….James Maddelena*
Marcellina…………………………………………………………………………..Dorothy Byrne
Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini
Sung in Italian with English and Spanish surtitles
Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts
April 25 at 7 p.m. – Opening Night
April 39 & May 1, 2, 5, 8, 9 at 8 p.m.
May 3 matinee at 2 p.m.
Broward Center for the Performing Arts
May 14, 15, 16 at 8 p.m.
Conductor……………………………………………………………………….Stewart Robertson
Set Designer……………………………………………………………………….Roberto Oswald
Costume Designer…………………………………………………………………….Anibal Lapiz
Lighting Designer……………………………………………………………….Gordon W. Olson
Production……………………………………………………………………...Opéra de Montréal
Cio-Cio San……………………………………………..Shu-Ying Li* (April 25, May 1, 3, 5, 8, 15)
Cio-Cio San………………………………………………………………….………..Adina Aaron
Pinkerton………………………….............................................................................Arnold Rawls
Suzuki……………………………………………………………………….…Kathryn Goeldner*
Sharpless………………………………………………………………………….......Jake Gardner
Goro…………………………………………………………………………………..Jeffrey Halili
11