Saturday, August 21, 2021 Bryant Park, New York, NY
NEW YORK CITY OPERA
Presents
Kamal Khan, Music Director and Pianist Michael Capasso, Master of Ceremonies
featuring
Lisa Chavez, Mezzo-soprano Adam Cioffari, Bass-baritone Adam Diegel, Tenor Kristin Sampson, Soprano
PROGRAM
Les contes d'Hoffmann Offenbach Barcarolle: Belle nuit, ô nuit d'amour Lisa Chavez Nicklausse Kristin Sampson Giulietta
Faust Gounod Vous qui faites l'endormie Adam Cioffari Méphistophélès
Manon Lescaut Puccini Tu, tu, amore? Tu? Kristin Sampson Manon Adam Diegel Des Grieux
Adriana Lecouvreur Cilea Acerba Volutta Lisa Chavez Princess de Bouillon
Don Giovanni Mozart Là ci darem la mano Adam Cioffari Don Giovanni Kristin Sampson Zerlina
Die Walküre Wagner Winterstürme wichen dem Wonnemond Adam Diegel Siegmund
Le Nozze di Figaro Mozart Sull’aria Lisa Chavez Countess Almaviva Kristin Sampson Susanna
La bohème Puccini O Mimì tu più non torni Adam Diegel Rodolfo Adam Cioffari Marcello
Andrea Chénier Giordano La mamma morta Kristin Sampson Maddalena
Carmen Bizet Finale: C’est toi! C’est moi! Lisa Chavez Carmen Adam Diegel Don José
La traviata Verdi Libiamo ne’lieti calici Lisa Chavez Adam Diegel Adam Cioffari Kristin Sampson
BRYANT PARK SUMMER PICNIC PERFORMANCES NEW YORK CITY OPERA-SUMMER 2021
RIGOLETTO September 3, 2021: Bryant Park Upper Terrace 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm Michael Capasso, Director Constantine Orbelian, Conductor CAST Rigoletto: Michael Chioldi The Duke of Mantua: Won Whi Choi Gilda: Brandie Sutton Maddalena: Lisa Chavez Sparafucile: Kevin Short
ABOUT NEW YORK CITY OPERA Since its founding in 1943 by Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia as “The People’s Opera,” New York City Opera has been a critical part of the city’s cultural life. During its history, NYCO launched the careers of dozens of major artists and presented
engaging productions of both mainstream and unusual operas alongside commissions and regional premieres. The result was a uniquely American opera company of international stature. Today, New York City Opera continues its legacy at a new, state- of-the-art home at the Rose Theater at Jazz at Lincoln Center and with revitalized outreach and education programs at venues throughout the city, designed to welcome and inspire a new generation of opera audiences. City Opera's acclaimed summer series in Bryant Park brings free performances to thousands of New Yorkers and visitors every year.
Coming Soon to New York City Opera
THE GARDEN OF THE FINZI-CONTINIS January 2022 World Premiere opera by Ricky Ian Gordon and Michael Korie a co-production with NATIONAL YIDDISH THEATRE FOLKSBIENE
Based on Giorgio Bassani’s 1962 novel, (considered a modern classic which is also the basis for Vittorio De Sica’s 1970 film adaptation starring Dominique Sanda and Helmet Berger – a 1972 Academy Award winner for Best Foreign Language Film), THE GARDEN OF THE FINZI-CONTINIS is set on the eve of World War II and tells the story of an aristocratic Italian-Jewish family, the Finzi-Continis, who believe they will be immune to the changes happening around them.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Lisa Chavez was most recently seen with NYCO in a “star turn” as Maggie in the premiere of Bell’s Stonewall. Other roles performed with the company include the title role in Dolores Claiborne, Paula in Florencia en el Amazonas, the title role in Carmen, and she was also involved in the Hal Prince production of Candide. She has been described as possessing a “plush storm of a voice” and for being “a powerhouse vocally and emotionally.” Other recent performances include Dido in Dido and Aeneas, the title role in Carmen, Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Fenena in Nabucco, and Madame de Criossy in Dialogues of the Carmelites with Sarasota Opera. For the 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 season she was a principal resident artist with Opera San Jose. Roles sung with Opera San Jose include: Isabella in L’Italiana in Algeri, Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, Hansel in Hansel and Gretel, Maddalena in Rigoletto, Harriet Herriton in the professional premiere of Where Angels Fear to Tread, Suzuki in Madama Butterfly, Meg Page in Falstaff, and Third Lady in Die Zauberflöte. Lisa returned in 2016 as a guest artist in the title role of Carmen. Memorable roles include; Amneris in Aida, Elizabeth Proctor in The Crucible (telecast live on Mezzo TV), Federico García Lorca in Ainadamar, Dinah in Trouble in Tahiti, Secretary in The Consul.
Bass-baritone Adam Cioffari recently returned to the Pittsburgh Festival Opera as Fasolt in Das Rheingold and Judge Turpin in Sweeney Todd, followed by Handel's Messiah, and Mozart’s Requiem with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra. Other appearances include the Commentator in the world premiere of Derrick Wang’s Scalia/Ginsburg at the Castleton Festival, the Musiklehrer in Ariadne auf Naxos at The Glimmerglass Festival, Papageno in Die Zauberflöte at the Teatro Municipal de Santiago, Colline in La bohème with Knoxville Opera, and Masetto in Don Giovanni with Austin Opera. He has performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse, Staatsoper Stuttgart, and Komische Oper Berlin. A former member of the Houston Grand Opera Studio, he was also a participant in the Merola Opera Program, Music Academy of the West, Aspen Opera Theater, and is a graduate from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.
Korean American tenor Adam Diegel regularly earns international acclaim for his impassioned dramatic sensibilities and powerful voice. Last season Mr. Diegel made several exciting role debuts: Narraboth in Salome with The Atlanta Opera; tenor soloist in Mahler’s Lied von der Erde; Radames in Aida with Opera Tampa; Manrico in Il Trovatore with Pensacola Opera; and Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly with Nashville Opera. Highlights of past seasons include Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, Froh in Das Rheingold, and Ismaele in Nabucco at The Metropolitan Opera; Cavaradossi in Tosca at Seattle Opera; Don José in Carmen at San Francisco Opera and at Opera Australia; and the title role in Don Carlo at the Lithuanian National Opera and Pinkerton at Hong Kong Opera.
Praised by the New York Times for her “bright, sizable and expressive voice,” Kristin Sampson’s 2020-2022 engagements include a debut with Opera Grand Rapids as Liù in Turandot, a role debut as Marguerite in Faust with the Washington Opera Society, and summer concert performances with New York City Opera, and Festival of Nature at Lake Tizsa in Hungary. 2019- 2020 calendar opened with a featured soloist appearance on the 75th Anniversary Concert for New York City Opera followed by additional performances as Mimì in La bohème with MidAtlantic Opera, a guest soloist appearance with the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra as well as several additional concert appearances with New York City Opera. 2018-19 performances included concerts featuring the music of composer Jeremy Gill, Mimì in La bohème, guest soloist in the New York City Opera Pride Concert, as well as being a featured artist at the 2019 Festival of Nature at Lake Tizsa in Hungary. Upcoming seasons include the roles of Tosca and Mimì, as well as concert appearances throughout the United States. The 2017-18 season included performances as Minnie in La fanciulla del West with New York City Opera, Opera Carolina, and at Teatro del Giglio in Lucca, Teatro Goldoni in Livorno, and Teatro Verdi in Pisa, Italy.
ARTISTIC STAFF Indian American conductor and pianist Kamal Khan has performed in venues such as The Metropolitan Opera, Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, The Kennedy Center, Dallas Opera, and Palm Beach Opera; Buenos Aires’ Teatro Colón, Teatro Municipal in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, Brazil; Palacio de Bellas Artes and Festival Cervantino in Mexico; Gran Teatro del Liceu and Palau de la Musica in Barcelona; Palacio de las Artes in Valencia; Paris Opera (Palais Garnier); Bonn Opera; Suntory Hall, Casals Hall, Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall, and Osaka Festival Hall in Japan; Seoul Arts Center and Asian Cultural Center, Korea; Beijing Hall, Jiangsu Center for the Performing Arts, Nanjing and Suzhou Culture & Arts Center, China; Cape Town Opera and Opera South Africa; and orchestras including the Jerusalem Symphony, Buenos Aires Philharmonic, Beijing Symphony, Shanghai Symphony, São Paulo Philharmonic, RTVE Symphony, Cape Philharmonic Orchestra, Kwazulu-Natal Philharmonic and The Orchestra of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields. He has shared stages with artists Michael Fabiano, Nadine Sierra, Sir Bryn Terfel, Levy Sekgapane, Nadine Benjamin, Pretty Yende, Veronica Villarroel, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Teresa Stratas, Placido Domingo, Sherrill Milnes, and Joshua Bell. The EMMY winning PBS documentary “I Live to Sing” is based on his work at the University of Cape Town.
Michael Capasso is the General Director of the New York City Opera. He has produced, directed, and toured opera and musical theater productions in the U.S. and abroad for over 30 years. In June of 2014, he led the successful effort to bring the New York City Opera out of bankruptcy. The revitalized New York City Opera returned to the stage in January 2016 with a celebratory production of Tosca. In 1981, he, along with Diane Martindale, founded New York’s Dicapo Opera Theatre. Over the 30 years of his leadership, Dicapo Opera Theater presented a diverse programming to the New York public. In addition to his work with the Dicapo Opera Theatre, Mr. Capasso has directed operas at l’Opéra de Montréal; Mallorca Opera; Toledo Opera; Connecticut Opera; New Jersey State Opera; Opera Carolina; and Orlando Opera among others. Mr. Capasso founded the National Lyric Opera in 1991, a touring company that has brought fully staged operas to communities in the American Northeast.