Florida Grand Opera presents Rossini’s The Barber of Seville

From Feb 20th through Mar 6th, 2010.

Rossn’s beloved opera, The Barber of Sevlle, contnues Florda Grand Opera’s season n February and March wth a delghtful cast of artsts. Although composed 30 years after Mozart’s The Marrage of Fgaro, Rossn’s The Barber of Sevlle s based on the frst of the Beaumarchas plays and ntroduces us to dashng Count Almavva, the lovely Rosna, and the resourceful Fgaro. The Barber of Sevlle s consdered one of the greatest comc operas ever composed and s among the best-loved and most frequently performed operas n the world.

Englsh bartone Roderck Wllams wll make both hs Florda Grand Opera and Amercan debut as Fgaro, Sevlle’s famous barber. Wllams has become wdely known throughout the UK and Europe for hs opera performances and rectals, and hs Fgaro n Rossn’s opera and hs Count n Mozart’s The Marrage of Fgaro are hghly regarded.

Soprano Sarah Coburn returns to Florda Grand Opera to sng Rosna, followng her spectacular FGO concert last season wth Bryn Terfel, and her performances of Ktty n FGO’s 2007 world premere of Anna Karenna. In May 2009, Ms. Coburn receved the Washngton Natonal Opera’s 2009 Artst of the Year award. The award was announced by Maestro Plácdo Domngo at the annual Board of Trustees dnner on Aprl 24. Maestro Domngo prased Sarah, who made her WNO debut n the company’s 2008 producton of Tamerlano, n whch she played Astera opposte Maestro Domngo’s Bajazet.

Canadan tenor Frédérc Antoun returns to FGO to sng Count Almavva. Of hs Don Ramro n last season’s La Cenerentola, Lawrence A. Johnson wrote n the Mam Herald, “…Frédérc Antoun was superb across the board. The Canadan tenor’s easy regal bearng was just rght for the nonstuffy Ramro, playng off Dandn’s antcs deftly and, most mportantly, dsplayng the requste hgh Rossn voce. Antoun blended gracefully wth Boulanne n ther duets and delvered the stratospherc goods n the Act 2 showpece, “S rtrovarla o guro,” wth claron top C’s.”

Makng hs Florda Grand Opera debut n the role of Bartolo s bass-bartone Bruno Pratcò, who has become one of the world’s leadng nterpreters of the role. He made hs debut at the Metropoltan Opera as Sulpce n La flle du regment n 1994 and has appeared regularly at La Scala n Mlan. He has an extensve dscography of recordngs to hs credt, ncludng the roles of Bartolo n The Barber of Sevlle, Dulcamara n The Elxr of Love, and Don Magnfco n La Cenerentola. Hs portrayal of Bartolo n The Barber of Sevlle for Los Angeles Opera n December, 2009, receved extensve crtcal acclam.

Three new cast members jon The Barber of Sevlle producton for the February 24 and 27 performances. Bartone Kyle Pfortmller, who wll take the role of Fgaro, was recently seen as Guglelmo n Cos fan tutte wth New York Cty Opera, and as Fgaro n Rossn’s The Barber of Sevlle wth the Lake George Opera Festval. He made hs FGO debut earler ths season as Slvo n Paglacc. Mr. Pfortmller wll also perform the March 4 & 6 performances n Fort Lauderdale.

Tenor Andrew Bdlack wll perform the role of Count Almavva. A former member of FGO’s Young Artst Studo, he s enjoyng a hghly successful career wth leadng opera companes. At San Francsco Opera, where he was a Merola Opera Program partcpant and later an Adler Fellow, he has upcomng performances of Pedrllo n The Abducton from the Seraglo and Ruz n Il Trovatore.

Bdlack and Pfortmller wll be joned by soprano Lelle Berman who wll sng the role of Rosna. She s a former member of the Ryan Opera Center at Lyrc Opera of Chcago where she performed and covered numerous roles. She recently made her New York Cty Opera debut as Cunégonde n Candde,

Gary Thor Wedow, who made hs FGO debut n the 2008 producton of Gulo Cesare n Egtto, returns to conduct The Barber of Sevlle. Ths Amercan conductor has a long assocaton wth New York Cty Opera, and has conducted for companes ncludng San Francsco Opera, Seattle Opera, Tokyo’s New Natonal Theater, Glmmerglass Opera, the Jullard Opera Center, Manhattan School of Musc, Wolf Trap Opera, and the Canadan Opera Company.

Performances wll take place from February 20th through 28th at the Adrenne Arsht Center for the Performng Arts, and on March 4th and 6th at the Broward Center for the Performng Arts.

Florda Grand Opera
1.800.741.1010
www.fgo.org

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