WFMT Radio Network Opera Series 2023
La fanciulla del West
September 23
COMPOSER: Giacomo Puccini
LIBRETTO: Guelfo Civinini and Carlo Zangarini
VENUE: National Centre for the Performing Arts
PRESENTING COMPANY: National Centre for the Performing Arts Opera
CAST:
Minnie Amarilli Nizza
Jack Rance Claudio Sgura
Dick Johnson alias Ramerrez Marco Berti
Nick KOU Jing
Ashby WANG Meng
Sonora Domenico Balzani
Trin ZHU He
Sid ENG Zhe
Bello SHANG Chunlai
Harry DU Fanyong
Joe GUO Jianchao
Happy ZHAO Denghui
Larkens ZHAO Ming
Billy DU Ang
Wowkle LIU Lu
Jake Wallace ZHANG Yang
ENSEMBLE: NCPA Orchestra and Chorus
CHORUS DIRECTOR: Salvatore Caputo
CONDUCTOR: Andrea Battistoni
Approx. Length: 2 Hours and 30 Minutes
Please Note: the Chinese family name comes first and is in uppercase. The first name is in sentence case and comes second in the listings above.
Picture a Day Like This
September 30
COMPOSER: George Benjamin
LIBRETTO: Martin Crimp
VENUE: Théâtre du Jeu de Paume, Aix-en-Provence, FR
PRESENTING COMPANY: Aix-en-Provence Festival
CAST:
Woman Marianne Crebassa
Zabelle Anna Prohaska
Lover 1 / Composer Beate Mordal
Lover 2 / Composer’s Assistant Cameron Shahbazi
Artisan / Collector John Brancy
ENSEMBLE: Mahler Chamber Orchestra
CONDUCTOR: George Benjamin
Approx. Length: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Jephtha
October 7
COMPOSER: George Frideric Handel
LIBRETTO: Rev. Thomas Morell
VENUE: North Shore Center, Illinois
PRESENTING COMPANY: Music of the Baroque
CAST:
Jephtha David Portillo
Iphis Lauren Snouffer
Storgé Clara Osowski
Hamor Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen
Angel Katelyn Lee
Zebul Neal Davies
ENSEMBLE: Music of the Baroque Chorus and Orchestra
CONDUCTOR: Dame Jane Glover
Approx. Length: TBA
Assassinio nella cattedrale
October 14
COMPOSER: Ildebrando Pizzetti
LIBRETTO: T.S. Eliot
VENUE: The Chicago Temple, Chicago, IL
PRESENTING COMPANY: Opera Festival of Chicago
CAST:
Thomas Becket Andrea Silvestrelli
First Coryphée Maria Kanyova
Second Coryphée Anna Laurenzo
First Knight/Tempter Reuben Lillie
Second Knight/Tempter William Powell III
Third Knight/Tempter Patrick Blackwell
Fourth Knight/Tempter Eric Dubin
First Priest Michael Rivera
Second Priest Jeff Ray
Third Priest Frank DeVincentis
Herald André De Mesquita
ENSEMBLE: Opera Festival of Chicago Orchestra
CONDUCTOR: Emanuele Andrizzi
Approx. Length: 1 hour, 40 minutes
Attila
October 21
COMPOSER: Giuseppe Verdi
LIBRETTO: Temistocle Solera
VENUE: Cahn Auditorium, Evanston, IL
PRESENTING COMPANY: Opera Festival of Chicago
CAST:
Attila Andrea Silvestrelli
Odabella Jenny Schuler
Ezio Franco Pomponi
Leone Patrick Blackwell
Foresto Ben Gulley
Uldino Reuben Lillie
ENSEMBLE: Opera Festival of Chicago Orchestra and Chorus
CONDUCTOR: Emanuele Andrizzi
Approx. Length: 2 hours
Le comte Ory
October 28
COMPOSER: Gioachino Rossini
LIBRETTO: Eugène Scribe and Charles-Gaspard Delestre-Poirson
VENUE: National Hispanic Cultural Center, Albuquerque, NM
PRESENTING COMPANY: Opera Southwest
CAST:
Count Ory Christopher Bozeka
Tutor Tim Mix
Isolier Amanda Crider
Raimbaud Matthew Hanscom
Countess Adèle Lindsay Ohse
Ragonde Laurel Semerdjian
Alice Mary Brzezinski
ENSEMBLE: Opera Southwest Orchestra and Chorus
CONDUCTOR: Anthony Barrese
Approx. Length: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Zorro
November 4
COMPOSER: Héctor Armienta
LIBRETTO: Héctor Armienta
VENUE: National Hispanic Cultural Center, Albuquerque, NM
PRESENTING COMPANY: Opera Southwest
CAST:
Zorro César Delgado
Carlotta de Obragón Stephanie Sanchez
Ana Maria Laura León
Géneral Moncada Octavio Moreno
Toypurina Olga Perez Flora
Sergeant José Maria Gomez Javier Ortiz
Luisa Laura Soto-Bayomi
ENSEMBLE: Opera Southwest Orchestra and Chorus
CONDUCTOR: Anthony Barrese
Approx. Length: 2 hours
Der fliegende Holländer
(The Flying Dutchman)
November 11
COMPOSER: Richard Wagner
LIBRETTO: Richard Wagner
VENUE: Bayreuth Festival Theatre, DE
PRESENTING COMPANY: Bayreuth Festival
CAST:
Daland, a Norwegian sea captain Georg Zeppenfeld
Senta, Daland’s daughter Elisabeth Teige
Erik, a huntsman Tomislav Mužek
Mary, Senta’s nurse Nadine Weissmann
Daland’s steersman Attilio Glaser
The Dutchman Michael Volle
ENSEMBLE: Bayreuth Festival Orchestra and Chorus
CONDUCTOR: Oksana Lyniv
Approx. Length: 2 hour, 30 minutes
Marc’Antonio e Cleopatra
November 18
COMPOSER: Johann Adolph Hasse
LIBRETTO: Francesco Ricciardi
VENUE: Jarvis Opera Hall, Illinois
PRESENTING COMPANY: Haymarket Opera Company
CAST:
Cleopatra Kangmin Justin Kim
Marc’Antonio Lauren Decker
Roman Soldier Jon Beal
Lady-in-Waiting to Cleopatra 1 Kali Benz
Lady-in-Waiting to Cleopatra 2 Julie Brumfiel
ENSEMBLE: Haymarket Opera Orchestra
CONDUCTOR: Craig Trompeter
Approx. Length: TBA
Please Note: Hasse’s original cast took opposite gender roles with Carlo Broschi, the famous castrato, singing Cleopatra, and the renowned contralto Vittoria Tesi Tramontini singing Marc’Antonio. In keeping with the original gender-fluid casting, Haymarket’s cast features countertenor Kangmin Justin Kim as Queen Cleopatra and contralto Lauren Decker in the role of Mark Antony.
Pelléas et Mélisande
November 25
COMPOSER: Claude Debussy
LIBRETTO: Adapted from a play by Maurice Maeterlinck
VENUE: Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles, CA
PRESENTING COMPANY: LA Opera
CAST:
Pelléas Will Liverman
Mélisande Sydney Mancasola
Golaud Kyle Ketelsen
King Arkel Ferruccio Furlanetto
Geneviève Susan Graham
Yniold Kai Edgar
A Physician Patrick Blackwell
ENSEMBLE: LA Opera Orchestra and Chorus
CONDUCTOR: James Conlon
Approx. Length: TBA
Omar
December 2
COMPOSE: Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels
LIBRETTO: Rhiannon Giddens
VENUE: Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles, CA
PRESENTING COMPANY: LA Opera
CAST:
Omar James McCorkle
Fatima, Omar’s Mother Amanda Lynn Bottoms
Johnson / Owen Daniel Okulitch
Julie Jacqueline Echols
Auctioneer / Taylor Barry Banks
Eliza, Owen’s Daughter Deepa Johnny
Katie Ellen Briana Hunter
Abdul, Omar’s Brother Norman Garrett
Abe Alan Williams
Amadou Ashley Faatoalia
Olufemi Cedric Berry
Suleiman Patrick Blackwell
Principal Dancer Jermaine McGhee
ENSEMBLE: LA Opera Orchestra and Chorus
CONDUCTOR: Kazem Abdullah
Approx. Length: 3 hours
