Media Contact: Justin Moss, [email protected] , 305-854-1643 ext. 1600 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 Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Marcello Giordani and Bryn Terfel Debuts include Latina sopranos Eglise Gutiérrez & Ailyn Pérez Celebrated tenor Stephen Costello July 15, 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 Gutiérrez and Ailyn Pérez. Opera News recently reviewed her performance of Violetta Valéry for Cincinnati Opera’s production of La traviata in July, 2008, saying, “It was impossible to believe these were Gutiérrez’s first Violettas: hers was a radiantly assured interpretation that many a more seasoned soprano would envy.” Ms. Gutiérrez 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. Last season she sang Amina in La sonnambula at Carnegie Hall with the Opera Orchestra of New York, made her Seattle Opera debut as Elvira in I puritani, her Baltimore Symphony debut in Handel’s Messiah, returned to Michigan Opera Theatre as Amina in La sonnambula, and made her debut at the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City as Lucia. 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, Liù in Turandot with Michigan Opera Theatre, 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 joined the roster of the Metropolitan Opera in the 2007-08 season for The Marriage of Figaro and Hansel and 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 Theatre, Leïla in Les pêcheurs de perles with the Teatro Municipal in Chile, and Marguérite 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 include Scarpia in Tosca for Palm Beach Opera, tours with Andrea Bocelli (and soprano Ana María Martínez), 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 and Anchorage Opera, among others. Italian Maestro Aldo Sisillo will make his FGO debut as conductor for La traviata. Mo. Sisillo serves as director of the Teatro Comunale di Modena and has been a guest conductor for the Rome 2 Opera, Teatro Comunale di Bologna, and many others. He has composed incidental music for theatrical performances presented at the Venice Biennale, the World Festival of Nancy, and the Festival of Santarcangelo. He has recorded for the Fonit Cetra, Naxos, and Hermitage labels. 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 sought-after performer, and his recent performance of Roméo in Roméo et Juliette for Opera Theatre of St. 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 Eckhart, 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’étoile, Hansel in Hansel and 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 made 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 Nicklausse 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 Métropolitain 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. Florida Grand Opera’s Resident Conductor Andrew Bisantz will conduct the two Fort Lauderdale performances on February 5 and 7, 2009.