MEDIA RELEASE November 1, 2020
Contacts: Kevin Reynolds, Cincinnati Public Radio [email protected]
Katie Syroney, Cincinnati Opera [email protected]
CINCINNATI OPERA AND 90.9 WGUC PRESENT SUNDAY NIGHT RADIO BROADCASTS THIS NOVEMBER
Cincinnati’s classical public radio station will air weekly broadcasts throughout the month, featuring favorite productions from the Cincinnati Opera archives
CINCINNATI, OH—Cincinnati Opera returns to the airwaves this November with a weekly series of opera broadcasts presented in partnership with 90.9 WGUC, Cincinnati’s classical public radio station.
This special series of opera broadcasts will feature five favorite productions from recent Cincinnati Opera performance seasons, including works by Mozart, Beethoven, Verdi, and more. Broadcasts will be accessible on-air at 90.9 FM and online at wguc.org each Sunday night at 8 p.m. throughout November (11/1 through 11/29).
“While grand opera in Cincinnati continues its extended intermission, we hope these Sunday night opera broadcasts will bring joy and inspiration to all those who tune in,” said Evans Mirageas, The Harry T. Wilks Artistic Director of Cincinnati Opera. “We’ve handpicked these five operas to showcase some of the most thrilling highlights from our last two decades. Each production features artists who have gone on to become some of the most celebrated in the world. And we’re incredibly fortunate to have the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra as our ‘house’ orchestra, a musical partnership we’ve enjoyed for a century.”
Continued Mirageas, “WGUC is dedicated to making classical music a vibrant, vital part of our region— we’re grateful to them for making this series possible. We also thank our valued partners at the CSO, the American Federation of Musicians, and the American Guild of Musical Artists.”
“Cincinnati Public Radio is proud of WGUC’s long partnership with Cincinnati Opera,” said Chris Phelps, vice president for content for Cincinnati Public Radio. “We are happy to keep the tradition of Cincinnati Opera broadcasts going uninterrupted with these superb productions, specially chosen from the archives for WGUC listeners and opera fans.”
For additional details, please visit wguc.org.
CINCINNATI OPERA SUNDAY NIGHT RADIO BROADCASTS ON 90.9 WGUC Event Schedule (all times are ET):
Sunday, November 1 @ 8 p.m. IL TROVATORE Originally performed in 2015 at Cincinnati Music Hall
Music by Giuseppe Verdi; libretto by Salvadore Cammarano Cristian Măcelaru, conductor; Jose Maria Condemi, stage director Featuring Julianna Di Giacomo, Jamie Barton, Stephen Powell, Russell Thomas, Morris Robinson, Kathryn Leemhuis, Samuel Smith, Thomas J. Capobianco, and Brandon Scott Russell
Description: Under the gleaming moon, a voice rises to Leonora’s balcony, offering words of love. A troubadour has set her heart aflame, and she swears fidelity to him till the end. But a civil war rages around them, a jealous suitor is on their trail, and a mysterious woman’s curse casts a menacing shadow. When forces close in, Leonora faces the ultimate sacrifice to secure her beloved’s freedom. From its thunderous overture to its tragic end, Verdi’s Il Trovatore (“the troubadour”) thrills with exhilarating music and a tale of star-crossed love and bloody vengeance. Our 2015 production featured an outstanding cast, including soprano Julianna Di Giacomo as Leonora, mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton as Azucena, tenor Russell Thomas as Manrico, baritone Stephen Powell as the Count di Luna, and bass and current Cincinnati Opera Artistic Advisor Morris Robinson as Ferrando.
Sunday, November 8 @ 8 p.m. DON GIOVANNI Originally performed in 1999 at Cincinnati Music Hall
Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte Klaus Donath, conductor; Nicholas Muni, stage director Featuring Peter Mattei, Lauren Flanigan, Christine Goerke, Elisabeth Comeaux, Scott Piper, Dean Ely, David L. Michael, and Michele Bianchini
Description: In this darkly comic take on the Don Juan legend, the lascivious Don Giovanni revels in wreaking havoc on countless hearts, while those he’s wronged emerge from his past to seek retribution. Swedish baritone Peter Mattei, now a fixture at the Metropolitan Opera and other esteemed opera houses, made his U.S. debut in our 1999 production, thrilling audiences with his menacing portrayal of Mozart’s hell-bound libertine. The cast also featured soprano Lauren Flanigan as Donna Anna and soprano Christine Goerke, now one of the world’s reigning divas, as Donna Elvira.
Sunday, November 15 @ 8 p.m. MARGARET GARNER Originally performed in 2005 at Cincinnati Music Hall
Music by Richard Danielpour; libretto by Toni Morrison Stefan Lano, conductor; Kenny Leon, stage director Featuring Denyce Graves, Angela Brown, Gregg Baker, Rod Gilfry, Nancy Allen Lundy, Chad Shelton, Roger Honeywell, and Marco Panuccio
Description: Cincinnati Opera collaborated with Michigan Opera Theatre and Opera Philadelphia to co-commission Margaret Garner, which received its world premiere in 2005. The opera was inspired by the true story of an enslaved woman who attempted to escape with her family from Northern Kentucky to freedom across the Ohio River. When faced with imminent recapture, Margaret made the horrific decision to sacrifice her children rather than see them returned to the bonds of slavery. With music by Grammy Award-winning composer Richard Danielpour and a libretto by renowned author Toni Morrison, Margaret Garner starred the luminous mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves in the title role.
Sunday, November 22 @ 8 p.m. ROMEO AND JULIET Originally performed in 2019 at Cincinnati Music Hall
Music by Charles Gounod; libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré Ramón Tebar, conductor; Matthew Ozawa, stage director Featuring Nicole Cabell, Matthew White, Hadleigh Adams, Piotr Buszewski, Reilly Nelson, Catherine Keen, Kenneth Shaw, and Thomas Dreeze.
Description: Gounod’s lush score adds depth and dimension to Shakespeare’s legendary story of star-crossed lovers. Inflamed by youthful passion, Romeo and Juliet are head-over-heels and hell-bent on being together, despite their families’ deep-seated enmity. They sheathe their love in secrecy, but their fates are doomed to unravel with devastating, deadly consequences. The stellar cast of this 2019 production was led by soprano Nicole Cabell, a “radiant Juliet” (Cincinnati Business Courier), with the “elegant tenor” (Cincinnati Business Courier) Matthew White as her Romeo.
Sunday, November 29 @ 8 p.m. FIDELIO Originally performed in 2016 at the Aronoff Center for the Arts
Music by Ludwig van Beethoven; libretto by Joseph von Sonnleithner Jun Märkl, conductor; Chris Alexander, stage director Featuring Christine Goerke, Russell Thomas, Nmon Ford, Nathan Stark, Daniel Sutin, Thomas Blondelle, Laura Tatulescu, and John Tibbetts
Description: Florestan has been wrongfully imprisoned and condemned to certain death. He has but one hope left: his adoring wife, Leonore. She infiltrates his prison by disguising herself as a man, plotting a daring rescue to save her one true love. It took a decade for Beethoven to complete Fidelio, his only opera, and his fierce musical genius permeates this thrilling ode to freedom, featuring soaring arias, heart-pounding choruses, and a glorious, uplifting finale. Our 2016 production starred soprano Christine Goerke as Leonore with tenor Russell Thomas as Florestan.
For additional schedule and performance information, visit wguc.org.
ABOUT 90.9 WGUC 90.9 WGUC, Cincinnati’s classical public radio station, part of Cincinnati Public Radio, has been home to classical music and the arts in the Greater Cincinnati community for 60 years. Presenting the finest from the classical music canon 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with special features like Classics for Kids, Your Classical Choice, and New at Noon, WGUC also records and broadcasts performances by the Cincinnati Opera, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, May Festival, and other local performing groups.
ABOUT CINCINNATI OPERA Founded in 1920 and the second-oldest opera company in the nation, Cincinnati Opera presents a thrilling season of grand opera every summer. The company's repertoire includes beloved classics and contemporary masterworks brought to life by some of the world’s most dynamic performers and creative artists.
Cincinnati Opera’s 2021 Summer Festival runs June 13 through July 25, featuring Opera in the Park (June 13), Gioachino Rossini’s The Barber of Seville (June 16 & 18), Georges Bizet’s Carmen (July 1, 8, 10 & 11m), the world premiere of Gregory Spears and Tracy K. Smith’s Castor and Patience (July 9, 13, 15, 17 & 18m), the world premiere of Fierce by William Menefield and Sheila Williams (July 14, 16, 18, 21 & 23), and Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca (July 22, 24 & 25m).
The 2021 Summer Festival is made possible through support from ArtsWave, Ohio Arts Council, The Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund, Patricia A. Corbett Estate and Trust, the Harry T. Wilks Family Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, OPERA America, and The P&G Fund of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation, along with many other generous individuals, corporations, and foundations.
Cincinnati Opera’s mission is to enrich and connect our community through diverse opera experiences.
For more information, visit cincinnatiopera.org.
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