Event
BENNINGTON COUNTY CHORAL SOCIETY PRESENTS A SEMI-STAGED PRODUCTION OF LUIGI CHERUBINIS MEDEA
BENNINGTON, Vt. The Bennington County Choral Society kicks off its 2019-2020 season with a concert, semi-staged production of Luigi Cherubinis Medea. Accompanied by the PanOpera Orchestra, Musical Director, Cailin Marcel Manson will conduct Cherubinis opera. The 2019-2020 season is dedicated in loving memory of Terry Durkee, a singer and board member who loved to sing, enjoyed all aspects of our chorus and was excited to start this season.
For one concert only, Saturday, November 23 at 3pm; Bennington Performing Arts Center, 331 Main Street Bennington. Tickets on sale: $20 in advance from chorus members, at the door or on www.BrownPaperTickets.com. Seating is limited. Concert venue is ADA-accessible.
ABOUT THE CONCERT PROGRAM
Médée (Medea), by Luigi Cherubini, premiered on March 13, 1797. Cherubinis music invokes Medeas inner struggle; from her dramatic shift of love to devastating hatred. The dynamic role of Medea provokes both sympathy and dismay. Rather than focusing on the plot itself, the opera explores the psychological processes experienced by the characters. With its stylistic diversity, its dark splendor and subtlety as well as its grand musical scenes, Medea was ahead of its time. So it's not surprising that of all the music Cherubini wrote, it is Medea that is best remembered.
Medeas tragic story starts with Jason as he invades Colchis to claim the Golden Fleece, his inheritance. Medea is a sorcerous and the kings daughter. Medea falls in love with Jason and promises to help him steal the Golden Fleece if he promises to marry her. Through sorcery she helps Jason steal the Golden Fleece and eventually bears him 2 sons. After a time, Jason abandons Medea and flees to Corinth, where he seeks refuge. In exchange for the Fleece, King Créon offers Jason his daughter Glauces hand in marriage.
Enraged by Jasons betrayal, Medea interrupts the wedding preparations but fails to win Jason back. Créon banishes her from the city granting her one day to see her children for the last time. Unable to admit defeat, Medea plans her revenge against both Jason and Glauce. Medea gets her revenge on Glauce by sending her a poison-soaked dress that ultimately kills her. Troubled by her own actions and feelings, Medea asks the slave Néris to bring her two sons to safety. In a change of emotions, Medea decides to get revenge on Jason by killing her own children. Medea has ruined Jason, but at what cost?
ABOUT THE SOLOISTS
Julie Olsson, soprano as Medea
Julie Olsson, originally from Ledyard, CT, began her professional career at the age of 17, performing the role of Mrs. Hopkins in the American Musical Theater production of My Fair Lady. She went on to receive a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from Ithaca College in Ithaca, NY. She also won honors at both district and regional NATS competitions. After moving on to study voice with Barbara Honn at the International Institute of Vocal Arts and Ms. Honns private studio, Ms. Olsson began her graduate degree studies in Vocal Performance at the University of MissouriKansas City. Upon returning to the East Coast, Julie embarked on a well-received career in jazz and blues/rock. Never wanting to stray to far from her roots in musical theater, she joined the Salt Marsh Opera Company for their productions of Madama Butterfly and Tosca. Ms. Olssons most recent endeavors include: a G&S production of H.M.S. Pinafore at the Main Street Arts in Saxons River, VT; Don Giovanni with the Keene, NH based Raylynmor Opera company; and relocating to Southern Vermont with her new husband (and best friend from college), Ken Olsson and their beautiful and talented three children.
Alan Schneider, tenor as Jason
Alan Schneider has appeared in opera, operetta, and music theatre productions with many companies in his native New England and elsewhere, including Odyssey Opera, Opera Boston, Sarasota Opera, OperaDelaware, Florida Grand Opera, The Huntington Theatre Company, Opera New England and Boston Bel Canto Opera. With Boston Lyric Opera, he has appeared in Katya Kabanova, The Flying Dutchman, La traviata, Lucie de Lammermoor (French version), Salome, Don Carlos, Carmen, Larondine and Rigoletto over the course of eight seasons with the company. Mr. Schneider made his international debut as Idomeneo with IVAI in Tel Aviv, Israel. This season Mr. Schneider appears as Meneleus in La belle Helène with Odyssey Opera and in the title role of Tristan und Isolde with TUNDI Productions.
Mary Brown Bonacci, mezzo as Neris
Mary Brown Bonacci has appeared with opera companies throughout the United States, including the Des Moines Metro Opera, Kansas City Lyric Opera, Pine Mountain Music Festival, Utah Festival Opera, and Opera Ozarks. New England audiences have seen her with the Granite State Opera, (Rosina in Barber of Seville, Mercedes in Carmen, Mary Stone in The Devil and Daniel Webster), Salt Marsh Opera (Suzuki in Madama Butterfly), and in concert with the Arcadia Players (Lord Nelson, Weinachts Oratorium, Messiah), Hampshire Choral Society (Haydn St. Cecilia, Bach B Minor Mass, Mendelssohn Paulus), as well as the Westfield State University Festival Chorus (Mozart C minor Mass, Magnificat, Brukner Te Deum, Messiah). Currently, she serves as coordinator of the voice area at Westfield State University teaching voice curriculum and music theatre workshop.
Michelle DeCoste, soprano as Glauce
Michelle DeCoste has distinguished herself in lyric and verismo roles. Recently Michelle made her Southern Vermont Lyric Theatre debut as Violetta in La Traviata. Other engagements include One World Symphony as Desdemona in Otello under conductor Sung Jin Hong. Additional performances include Mimi in La Boheme, Madame Lidoine in Poulenc's Dialogues des Carmelites and the title role in Puccini's Suor Angelica. Michelle has also appeared as Marguerite in Faust (Berkshires, NY with the Albany Symphony), Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi, Norina in Don Pasquale (Amalfi Coast Music & Arts Festival, Maiori, Italy), Zerlina in Don Giovanni (Ravello Concert Society, Ravello, Italy) and Donna Anna in Don Giovanni with the Martina Arroyo program.
Ms. DeCoste is a graduate from the Ithaca College School of Music where she performed the roles of Marie in La Fille du Regiment and Adele in Die Fledermaus. This season's engagements include a debut with Bennington County Choral Society where she will sing the role of Glauce in Luigi Cherubini's Medea.
Nicholas Tocci, baritone as Creonte
Nicholas Tocci is becoming one of the most sought after young artists in New England, with appearances in every state in the region. A New Hampshire native, Mr. Tocci is currently based in Boston, after working on his Master's Degree in Vocal Performance from the New England Conservatory. During his time in conservatory, he appeared in leading roles in multiple productions, including: Nardo in Mozarts la finta giardiniera, Manuel in De Fallas la vida breve, Pallante in Handels Agrippina, The Priest/Badger in Janaceks The Cunning Little Vixen, and Maestro Spinelloccio/The Notary in Gianni Schicchi.
The 2019 season will feature Mr. Tocci performing in engagements such as a production of Bernstein's Mass with The Keene Chorale, and Robert Aldridge's Parables: An Interfaith Oratorio, with the Bennington Choral Society.
ABOUT THE MUSIC DIRECTOR
As the Musical Director of the Bennington County Choral Society, Cailin Marcel Manson concurrently serves as director of the Germantown Institute for the Vocal Arts, artistic director and conductor of the Germantown Concert Chorus and the Germantown Choral Festival. In early 2019 Cailin stepped down from his position as Director of Music at Putney School and has been appointed Director of Choral Activities and Music Performance at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts.
The baritone and conductor is a Philadelphia native who has toured major concert venues throughout the United States, Europe and Asia with many organizations as a performer and master teacher. Manson studied vocal performance at Temple University, then opera performance and orchestral conducting at the Universität Mozarteum Salzburg. Manson has held positions as artistic director and conductor of the Montgomery County Youth Orchestra, music director of the Vorarlberger Musikfest, music director and conductor laureate of the Chamber Symphony of Atlantic City, chairman of vocal studies at the Hazleton Conservatory for the Performing Arts and as a member of the voice faculty of both the Napoli School of Music and Dance and the Performing Arts Institute of Wyoming Seminary. He is a member of the National Association of Negro Musicians and the Conductors Guild.
ABOUT THE BCCS
The Bennington County Choral Society is a mixed adult chorus of voices drawn from southern Vermont and nearby New York and Massachusetts communities. Its aims to foster an environment in which chorus members coalesce as a group and develop as an ensemble, with the goal of growing musically through weekly rehearsals and performances that are a source of pride and pleasure.
The Choral Society is open to all ages and singing/reading abilities and performs two concerts each year. Auditions are not required to join. Members are expected to bring a love of singing, and are asked to pay dues of $40 per concert or $70 per season. Information: https://bccssingers.wixsite.com/bccsmusic.
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LocationOldcastle Theatre Company (View)
331 Main Street
Bennington, VT 05201
United States
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