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Saturday, 13 July, starting at 8:00 pm, Church of the Covenant, 67 Newbury Street, Boston (corner of Newbury and Berkeley), the SONS OF LIBERTY FESTIVAL presents "A GALA EVENING OF OPERA", with the LONGWOOD OPERA featuring selections from operas by Charles Gounod (1818-1893), Wolfgang Mozart (1756-1791), Jacques Offenbach (1819-1880), Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868), and Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901). Singers include Ethan Bremner, Stephanie Mann, Sophie Michaux, Sara Michale Smith, Gary Thies, Martha Warren and Tom Weber, accompanied by Music Director Jeffrey Brody. , with the LONGWOOD OPERA featuring selections from operas by Charles Gounod (1818-1893), Wolfgang Mozart (1756-1791), Jacques Offenbach (1819-1880), Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868), and Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901). Singers include Ethan Bremner, Stephanie Mann, Sophie Michaux, Sara Michale Smith, Gary Thies, Martha Warren and Tom Weber, accompanied by Music Director Jeffrey Brody.
Since his arrival in Boston, Ethan Bremner has become one of the city's most sought-after young tenors. He made his local debut with Boston Opera Collaborative in 2006 as Achilles in Gluck's Iphigenie en Aulide, and then sang with the company as Rodolfo in Puccini's La bohème. Other recent engagements include: The title role in Mozart's Idomeneo with OperaHub, Alfred in Die Fledermaus with both Longwood Opera and Opera Providence, Canio in I Pagliacci with Lakes Region Opera, Aeneas in Dido and Aeneas with the Newport Baroque Festival, Don José in Bizet's Carmen with the Paul Madore Chorale, and an auspicious debut as Cavaradossi in Puccini's Tosca with Longwood Opera. In the 2010-2011 season, Mr. Bremner covered Florestan in Beethoven's Fidelio and Don Ruiz di Padilla in Donizetti's Maria Padilla. Mr. Bremner was a Finalist in the 2010 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions (New England Region) and earned his Master of Music in 2006 from the University of Wisconsin.
A finalist in the 1999 European International Composers Competition and winner of numerous ASCAP awards, longtime Longwood Opera Music Director Jeffrey Brody has earned international acclaim for his compositions. His output, including two operas and works for chorus, orchestra chamber ensemble, solo voice and organ has been performed in some of the world's most prestigious venues, among them Boston's Symphony Hall, Jordan Hall, The Washington National Cathedral, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, and the Vienna Konzerthaus. Appointed Music Director and Organist of Park Avenue Congregational Church (Arlington) in 2007, he serves as Principal Accompanist of the Paul Madore Chorale and Music Advisor of the Boston Wagner Society. The 2010-2011 season brought the world premiere by Longwood Opera of his critically acclaimed second opera, The Picture of Dorian Gray. The Seattle-based Octava Chamber Orchestra premieres his Symphony in C in the 2013-2014 season. Recently, Mr. Brody conducted baritone Jonathan Nussman, the Salem Philharmonic Orchestra and the Paul Madore Chorale in excerpts from Dorian Gray. His works are published by Ashbook Music and appear on AFKA and SPC compact discs, as well as on YouTube. In honor of the many years of artistic collaboration with the late Boston Symphony Orchestra organist, Dr. Berj Zamkochian, the Gomidas Organ Fund presented Mr. Brody with the baton used by Dr. Charles Munch, Music Director and Conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra from 1949-1962.
J. Scott Brumit, Longwood Opera General Director received his undergraduate degree from Occidental College in Los Angeles and his graduate degree from the New England Conservatory in Boston. He taught at the Boston Conservatory for five years as the assistant director of the Opera Department, under the direction of John Moriarty. He then served as artistic administrator for the Opera Company of Boston for Sarah Caldwell. In 1986, he co-founded Longwood Opera with John Balme and is currently the company's General Director. He has over 100 operatic roles in his repertoire and he has sung and directed throughout the United States. He is the narrator and tutorial voice for the computer game release of "Empire Earth II." He is an accomplished martial artist and teaches classes in T'ai Chi and Qigong. In 1984, he received the Jacopo Peri award from the New England Opera Club. In 2008, he was initiated as a National Arts Associate of Sigma Alpha Iota.
Soprano Stephanie Mann is a native of Richmond, VA and a graduate of The Boston Conservatory with a Masters of Music in Voice and Opera Performance. Favorite roles include: Rosa Bud/The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Sharon/Master Class, Iolanthe/Iolanthe, Young Phyllis/Follies, Alexandra/Regina, Amy/Little Women (Opera), Maria/The Sound of Music, Alice Ford/Falstaff, Second Lady and Papagena/Die Zauberflöte, La Feé/Cendrillon, Cherubino/The Marriage of Figaro, Mme. Herz/The Impresario, Lady Thiang/The King and I, Donna Anna/Don Giovanni, Musetta/La Bohème, and Fiordiligi/Così fan tutte. This summer she will be the soprano soloist in the Boston Singers' Resource Concert Series recital 'A Tribute to Emily Dickinson' and is covering the role of 'Clorinda' in Boston Opera Collaborative's production of Rossini's Cinderella. This fall she will be reprising 'A Tribute to Emily Dickinson' and she also returns to Longwood Opera as 'First Lady' and 'First Spirit' in their production of Mozart's The Magic Flute.
French Mezzo-soprano Sophie Michaux's voice was characterized as "luscious", "velvety" and "ever so slightly smoky". Recognized for her enthralling presence and her audacious interpretation, she maintains an active performance schedule in Europe and the United States: In May 2010, she was a soloist in Italy at the Egida Sartori and Laura Alvini Early Music Seminar in Venice, directed by René Jacobs. On stage, her roles include Hemia in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Mercedes in Carmen, and Orontea in Orontea.This fall, she will be Lucretia in Opera Brittenica's production of The Rape of Lucretia, and the 3rd Lady and 3rd Spirit in Longwood Opera's production of The Magic Flute. In Boston, she has collaborated Boston Metro West, Lowell House Opera, Helios Early Opera, Boston Metro Opera, Longwood Opera and the Brockton Symphony Orchestra. For more information, please visitwww.sophiemichaux.com.
Sara Michale Smith, soprano is a graduate of Wheaton College, where she majored in music and mathematics. She has sung regularly with Chaminade Opera and Longwood Opera, and has also appeared with the Norton Singers and New England Light Opera. Previous roles include the Sandman and the Dew Fairy in Hansel & Gretel, Mrs. Gobineau in The Medium, Miss Pinkerton in The Old Maid and the Thief, the First Lady in The Magic Flute, Florence Pike in Albert Herring, Mercedes in Carmen, and Annina in La Traviata. Currently she is the soprano section leader at Park Avenue Congregational Church in Arlington. In February 2012 Sara sang the premiere performance of Heliopolis, a new work for soprano, cello, and piano by New England-area composer Travis Worthley. Sara has appeared with the Great Woods Chamber Orchestra; she performed Villa-Lobos' Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 with the Wheaton cello ensemble in December 2010. She is a past first-place winner at the Rhode Island NATS Songfest. This fall Sara will be singing the roles of the First Lady and the First Spirit in Longwood's production of The Magic Flute. Sara has studied voice with Ellalou Dimmock, Joanne Mouradjian, and Patricia Craig, and is currently studying with Joanna Porackova.
Baritone Gary Thies made his professional debut in 2003 as Count Almaviva in Lowell Opera's Act IV concert presentation of Mozart's "Marriage of Figaro" with the Lowell Philharmonic Orchestra. He returned to Lowell Opera in 2006 to sing Tonio in "Il Pagliacci." Since then he has sung Marcello in "La Boheme," with Riverside Theatre, Eisenstein in "Die Fledermaus," with Longwood Opera, and L'Imperial Commissario in Granite State Opera's production of "Madama Butterfly." Other solo performances include concert appearances with The Choral Arts Society, Boston Bel Canto Opera, New England Light Opera, The Boston Gay Men's Chorus, and Mass Theatrica.
Soprano Martha Warren is well known throughout New England for her operatic, oratorio and recital performances. A graduate with voice performance degrees from the Oberlin Conservatory and the University of Michigan, she has performed leading roles with Boston Lyric Opera/Opera New England, Granite State Opera, Longwood Opera, Lowell House Opera, Masterworks Chorale, Opera 2Go, the Paul Madore Chorale, and Raylynmor Opera. Martha made her debut with Boston Lyric Opera, singing the roles of both the Mother and the Witch in 'Hansel and Gretel.' During the 37 performance tour, nearly ten thousand children and families were introduced to opera. She received warm reviews for her portrayal of Michaela in 'Carmen' and Musetta in "La Boheme" for the Granite State Opera in New Hampshire. Of her Fiordiligi with Raylynmor Opera, the Keene Sentinal said "Soprano Martha Warren, as Fiordiligi, was the outstanding singer on stage, singing "Like a fortress" ("Come scoglio") with flair. Her affecting singing of "Dearest love, I beg your pardon" ("Per pieta, ben mio perdona") was the vocal highpoint of the evening." Martha's many performances with Longwood Opera include a joint performance with Symphony Pro Musica, of "Hansel and Gretel", where she portrayed both the Mother and the Witch, as well as such roles as Lady Billows in Britten's 'Albert Herring', Fiordiligi (Cosi fan tutte), Miss Todd (Old Maid and the Thief), Donna Anna, Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni), Rosalinda (Die Fledermaus), Countess (Marriage of Figaro), Alice Ford (Merry Wives of Windsor), and Mimi (La Boheme).
Tom Weber recently had the opportunity to perform the role of that sleazy but likeable Dr. Dulcamara again with Longwood Opera. This appearance marks his 12th with the company. Among his opera roles, he counts Wotan in Das Rheingold, Falstaff in Verdi's Falstaff, the title role in Don Pasquale, and Germont in La Traviata, all with Longwood Opera; Monterone (and Rigoletto cover) in Commonwealth Opera's Rigoletto; Schicchi in Gianni Schicchi with several companies, and Don Magnifico in Rossini's La Cenerentola. In addition, Tom appeared as Sir Roderic Murgatroyd in Ruddigore in a recent concert-performance sponsored jointly by NEGASS and Longwood Opera, as well as in other Gilbert and Sullivan roles including Lord Mountararat in Iolanthe and King Hildebrand in Princess Ida with Sudbury Savoyards.
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LocationChurch of the Covenant (View)
67 Newbury Street
Boston, MA 02116
United States
Categories
| Kid Friendly: Yes! |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: Yes! |
| Wheelchair Accessible: Yes! |
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