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Home , Elizabeth Caballero, Jennifer Rivera, Sarah Coburn, Stephen Costello, Vladimir Galouzine

Media Contact: Justin Moss, [email protected] , 305-854-1643 ext. 1600

Florida Grand Announces the 2008-09 Season at The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of -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 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 ’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 in Bogotá, Colombia. Last season she sang Amina in La sonnambula at Carnegie Hall with the Opera Orchestra of New York, made her 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 for the Teatro Verdi di Trieste and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Mendelssohn’s Elijah with the Utah Symphony Orchestra, Liù in 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 in 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 . She has recently sung with 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 and Mexico with Andrea Bocelli.

She joined the roster of the 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 , 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 at the Salzburg Festival under the baton of , the Duke in Rigoletto with Deutsche Oper Berlin, a debut with Lyric Opera of Chicago, Camille in The Merry Widow with , 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 , 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 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 , 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 , 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 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 , 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.

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 3 setting is beautifully realized in the duet, “Dôme épais,” and in Lakmé’s famous “Bell Song,” with its tinkling 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, Amina in La sonnambula, and Cleopatra in Julius Caesar. She recently appeared with Michigan Opera Theatre as Roxanne in the world premiere of Cyrano, by David DiChiera, and made her Metropolitan Opera debut last season in its new production of Britten’s Peter Grimes.

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 , after which she appeared with the Opera Company of Philadelphia to perform Roxanne in the East Coast premiere of Cyrano.

Alternating in the role of Gérald are Bryan Griffin and Chad A. Johnson, both former members of FGO’s Young Artist Studio. Griffin is currently a member of The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago (formerly the Lyric Opera Center for American Artists). Griffin made his Lyric Opera debut on opening night of the 2005-06 season as Edmondo in Olivier Tambosi’s new production of with Bruno Bartoletti conducting, opposite Karita Mattila and Vladimir Galouzine. Among Griffin’s other roles at Lyric have been Tamino in Die Zauberflöte (he filled in for an indisposed colleague on a few hours’ notice, scoring a great success), Tybalt in Roméo et Juliette, and the Innkeeper in Der Rosenkavalier. Griffin made his European debut on opening night of the 2007 Glyndebourne Festival Opera season, portraying Malcolm in Richard Jones’s new production of Macbeth, conducted by Vladimir Jurowski. The young tenor’s recent engagements include his return as Fenton in , under the baton of Lyric music director Sir Andrew Davis, and his first Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor with the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra in Alabama.

Chad A. Johnson recently sang Ferrando in Così fan tutte with the Tanglewood Music Center, conducted by Maestro James Levine, Ralph in HMS Pinafore with Opera East Texas, Gérald in Lakmé with Minnesota Opera, Ferrando in Così fan tutte with Connecticut Opera, Camille in The Merry Widow with Lyric Opera of San Diego and as the tenor soloist in Handel's Messiah with the San Diego Chamber Orchestra. He was recently featured as Frederic in The Pirates of Penzance with Glimmerglass Opera, Alfredo in La traviata with Spokane Opera, and Arminio in I masnadieri and Alfred in Die Fledermaus with Sarasota Opera. Other engagements have included Arthur in Lucie de Lammermoor and the Glass Maker in Death in Venice with Glimmerglass Opera, Nanki-Poo in The Mikado with Wichita Grand Opera, Hot Biscuit Slim in Paul Bunyan with Florida Grand Opera and Opera Omaha, Count Tassilo in Countess Maritza with Lyric Opera San Diego and tenor soloist in Orff's Carmina Burana with Opera Omaha. Chad has also been heard on NPR's World of Opera as Harry, the Miner, in La fanciulla del West, Arthur in Lucie de Lammermoor and the Glass Maker in Death in Venice, all from Glimmerglass Opera.

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 Frédéric. 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 4 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 de Lanaudière 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 ever written. Performances of the Beaumarchais play of 1784, on which the opera is based, were forbidden in pre-revolutionary , 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 Valentina Farcas 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 . 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.

Keith Miller has appeared at the Metropolitan Opera over the past two season in productions of , War and Peace, Ernani, Macbeth, Rigoletto, Faust, and , 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. 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.” Romanian soprano Valentina Farcas’ recent Salzburg Festival debut as Blonde in Die Entführung aus dem Serail was met with wide critical acclaim and was released on DVD on the Decca label.

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 Theatre of St. Louis. Last season she made her debut with Opera Pacific in her signature role of Mimì in La bohème paced by Maestro Eduardo Müller, and returned to Sweden’s Malmö Opera as Marguérite 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. 5

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 2007-08 season included her return to New York City Opera, where she appeared as Nedda in a new production of Pagliacci and reprised her popular Musetta in La bohème, and her performances of Mimì in FGO’s La bohème. Last season Ms. Caballero made 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, and at New Jersey Opera Theater as Violetta in La traviata. In addition, she made her international debut as Magda in at Teatro in Trieste, Italy.

David Pittsinger has been heard as Nick Shadow in Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress in Hamburg, Brussels, , 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 Méphistophélès for the Opéra de Montréal, Italy's Macerata Opera, the Opera Theatre 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. Of Mr. Pittsinger’s portrayal of the Friar in Verdi's Don Carlo under the baton of Myung-Whun 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 appeared in the same role with New York City Opera for the March 20, 2008, Live From Lincoln Center broadcast on PBS. 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. Tenors Arturo Chacón-Cruz and Alessandro Liberatore will alternate in the role of Pinkerton, and American mezzo-soprano Katharine Goeldner will make her FGO debut as Suzuki.

Tenor Arturo Chacón-Cruz has in recent seasons made many important international debuts. In the fall of 2006 he appeared at the Washington National Opera as Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly and subsequently made his Italian stage debut as Rodolfo in La bohème at the Teatro Comunale in Bologna, followed by appearances as Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples. His Spanish debut was in Valencia where he appeared as Christian in Alfano's Cyrano de Bergerac opposite Plácido Domingo in the title role. He added the title role in Gounod's Roméo et Juliette to his repertoire for Michigan Opera Theatre in the spring of 2007. He then was heard at the Festival de Radio France in Montpellier as Marcello di Bruges in Donizetti's Il duca d'Alba, the recording of which will become available in 2008. Last season, he returned to Washington as Rodolfo in La bohème and made his Los Angeles Opera debut as the tenor soloist for the Verdi Requiem, returning later in the season as Rodolfo in La bohème.

Alessandro Liberatore was born in Rome and studied singing and piano in his native city. He attended studies with Rockwell Blake at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia and has won numerous international competitions including the Città di Nettuno, Zandonai and Caruso. His operatic debut was as Don Ottavio in Mozart’s Don Giovanni. He has appeared at the Arena in 6 Verona, and has performed in Werther by Massenet, La traviata, Macbeth and Messa da Requiem by Verdi, and La bohème by Puccini. In October 2002 he performed in a recital in Monte Carlo with Luciano Pavarotti.

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 last 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 10, 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’Opéra de Paris, Teatro alla Scala, , and Lyric Opera of Chicago; Wigmore Hall, London; Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh; Carnegie Hall, New York; Tchaikovsky Conservatoire, ; the , ; the Suntory Hall, ; 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 Haitinck, , Lorin Maazel, , Yuri Termirkanov and .

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 . His appointment in 1991 as Music Director of the celebrated 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

7 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 2007-08 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 returned to the Metropolitan Opera this year in a revival of Puccini’s Manon Lescaut and made 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 45 different operas in 6 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; Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels; Bonn Opera; Teatro Massimo, Palermo; Teatro Verdi, Trieste; as well as the English National 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 bottom register.” (The Globe and Mail). Sarah Coburn’s 2007-08 season included the role of Asteria in Tamerlano with Washington National Opera, the title role of Lakmé with and returning to the role of Princess Yue-yang in the revival of at the Metropolitan Opera. In 2007 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 8 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 1-800-741- 1010 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 35- week 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.

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2008-09 Cast List Follows

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Florida Grand Opera Cast List *= Debut; ◘ = Former Young Artist; ♦Current Young Artist

2008-2009 Season Programs______

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 19, 21, 22, 25, at 8:00 p.m. November 23 matinee at 2:00 p.m.

Broward Center for the Performing Arts December 4 & 6 at 8 p.m.

Conductor...... Aldo Sisillo* 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 Gutiérrez* (November 15, 21, 23M, December 6) Violetta...... Ailyn Perez* (November 19, 22, 25, December 4) Alfredo ...... Stephen Costello* (November 15, 21, 23M, December 6) Alfredo ...... Leonardo Capalbo*(November 19, 22,25, December 4) Germont ...... Luis Ledesma* (November 15, 21, 23M, December 6) Germont ...... Mark Walters* (November 19, 22, 25, December 4)

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* Conductor...... Andrew Bisantz (February 5, 7) Director ...... A. Scott Parry*

10 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 Boulianne* (January 25M, 28, 31, February 5) Don Magnifico ...... Gaétan Laperrière Don Ramiro...... Frédéric Antoun* Dandini...... Marian Pop*

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...... Gavin Swift* Production ...... Opéra de Montréal & Opera Australia Lakmé...... Leah Partridge ◘ (February 21, 24, 27, March 5) Lakmé...... Evelyn Pollock* (February 22M, 25, 28, March 7) Frédéric ...... Aaron St. Clair Nicholson Gérald...... Bryan Griffin ◘ (February 21, 24, 27, March 5) Gérald...... Chad A. Johnson ◘ (February 22M, 25, 28, March 7) 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, 4 at 8 p.m.

Conductor...... Stewart Robertson Director ...... Stephen Lawless* Set Designer ...... Benoit Dugardyn Costume Designer ...... Johann Stegmeir

11 Lighting Designer...... John Sullivan-Genthe Production ...... Florida Grand Opera & Glimmerglass Opera Figaro ...... Andrew Oakden* (March 21, 24, 27, April 4) Figaro ...... Keith Miller* (March 22M, 25, 28, April 2) Susanna ...... Lauren Skuce* (March 21, 24, 27, April 4) Susanna…………………………………………..Valentina Farcas*(March 22M, 25, 28, April 2) Count...... David Pittsinger (March 21, 24, 27, April 4) Count...... Aaron St. Clair Nicholson (March 22M, 25, 28, April 2) Countess...... Kelly Kaduce (March 21, 24, 27, April 4) Countess...... Elizabeth Caballero ◘ (March 22M, 25, 28, April 2) Bartolo...... James Maddalena* Marcellina ...... Dorothy Byrne

Madama Butterfly by Sung in Italian with English and Spanish surtitles

Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts April 25 at 7 p.m. – Opening Night April 29 & 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, 16 at 8 p.m.

Conductor...... Stewart Robertson Director ...... Bernard Uzan Set Designer ...... Roberto Oswald Costume Designer ...... Anibal Lápiz Lighting Designer...... Gordon W. Olson Production ...... Opéra de Montréal Cio-Cio San...... Shu-Ying Li* (April 25, May 1, 3M, 5, 8, 16) Cio-Cio San...... Adina Aaron* (April 29, May 2, 9, 14) Pinkerton ...... Arturo Chacón-Cruz* (April 25, May 1, 3M, 5, 8, 16) Pinkerton ...... Alessandro Liberatore* (April 29, May 2, 9, 14) Suzuki...... Katharine Goeldner* Sharpless ...... Jake Gardner Goro ...... Jeffrey Halili

SUPERSTAR CONCERT SERIES Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts Knight Concert Hall at 8:00 P.M.

Saturday, January 10, 2009 Dmitri Hvorostovsky with Ekaterina Siurina, Constantine Orbelian, Conductor

Monday, March 9, 2009 Marcello Giordani with Leah Partridge, Steven Mercurio, Conductor

Monday, April 6, 2009 Bryn Terfel with Sarah Coburn, Stewart Robertson, Conductor

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