Annapolis Opera: La Traviata
$34-$100 ($22 student)
- Ethel Trujillo, soprano (Violetta Valéry)
- Lawrence Barasa Kiharangwa, tenor (Alfredo Germont)
- Gustavo Ahualli, baritone (Giorgio Germont)
- Joanne Evans, mezzo-soprano (Flora Bervoix)
- Patricia Hengen-Shields, soprano (Annina)
- Patrick Kilbride, tenor (Gastone de Letorières)
- John Tibbetts, baritone (Barone Douphol)
- Anthony D. Anderson, bass (Marchese d'Obigny)
- Andrew Adelsberger, bass (Dottore Grenvil)
- Max Alexander Cook, tenor (Giuseppe)
- J.P. Gorski, bass (Commissioner)
- Henry Hubbard, bass (Flora's Servant)
- Annapolis Opera Chorus
- Craig Kier, conductor
The splendor of 19th-century Paris serves as the backdrop for Giuseppe Verdi's story of passion and sacrifice, La Traviata. The glamorous courtesan Violetta's tragic fate unfolds as she navigates the complexities of society, morality, and true love. From the iconic "Brindisi" to the hauntingly beautiful "Sempre libera," each aria and duet resonates with emotion, painting a vivid portrait of human desire and vulnerability. As her world unravels, audiences are transported into a place of opulence, heartache, and ultimately, redemption.
Presented in Italian with English subtitles.
About Ethel Trujillo, soprano (Violetta Valéry)
About Lawrence Barasa Kiharangwa, tenor (Alfredo Germont)
About Gustavo Ahualli, baritone (Giorgio Germont)
About Joanne Evans, mezzo-soprano (Flora Bervoix)
About Patricia Hengen-Shields, soprano (Annina)
https://www.morgan.edu/fine-and-performing-arts/music/faculty-and-staff/patricia-hengen-shields
About Patrick Kilbride, tenor (Gastone de Letorières)
About John Tibbetts, baritone (Barone Douphol)
About Anthony D. Anderson, bass (Marchese d'Obigny)
About Max Alexander Cook, tenor (Giuseppe)
About J.P. Gorski, bass (Commissioner)
About Craig Kier, conductor
American Conductor Craig Kier has already received high praise for his "Tesla-like intensity" and "impeccable orchestral support" while leading performances throughout the United States and on international stages. Since becoming the Director of the Maryland Opera Studio at The University of Maryland, Mr. Kier has expanded the footprint of the program's activities. Beginning in the 2015-2016 season, he has led an annual commissioning prize as part of the Maryland Opera Studio New Work Reading Series, giving composers and librettists an opportunity to cultivate their creative voices, emerging artists an opportunity to work directly with a creative team on a work written specifically for them, and audiences an opportunity to be exposed to new work and observe the creative process. Along with his dedication to the development of New Work, Mr. Kier organized a festival celebrating the work of Kurt Weill, in coordination with The Kurt Weill Foundation for Music, which included his leading performances of The Road of Promise, Mahagonny Songspiel, and Street Scene. Recent performances in the season included his debut with Indianapolis Opera leading La bohème, his return to Opera Birmingham for Tosca, performances of The Nutcracker for Houston Ballet, and his debut leading the Schwabacher Summer Concert for San Francisco Opera's Merola Opera Program.
In the current season, Kier leads Tosca for Annapolis Opera, continues his relationship with the National Symphony Orchestra and their music director, Gianandrea Noseda, leads performances of The Nutcracker with Houston Ballet, and shares the podium for Houston Ballet's Jubilee of Dance in celebration of their 50th Anniversary. He also leads Ariodante and The Cunning Little Vixen with Maryland Opera Studio and returns to Brevard Music Center, leading their Opera’s Greatest Hits Concert and Die Entführung aus dem Serail.
Recent appearances for Mr. Kier include his debut with La Cenerentola at Brevard Music Center, with Wolf Trap Opera conducting Britten's The Rape of Lucretia, his debut with Arizona Opera leading Madama Butterfly, and his debut with Opera Saratoga conducting Verdi's Falstaff. Mr. Kier enjoys long relationships with several organizations including Opera Birmingham, for whom he has already conducted La traviata and Hamlet, and with Houston Ballet, for whom he has conducted The Nutcracker since 2011.
Productions at the Maryland Opera Studio for Mr. Kier include Mozart’s La clemenza di Tito, Don Giovanni and Così fan tutte, Ravel's L'enfant et les sortilèges, Blitzstein’s Regina, Rossini's L'occasione fa il ladro, Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld, Britten's The Rape of Lucretia, and Poulenc's Dialogues des Carmélites. Last season, along with his work with the Kurt Weill Festival, he lead Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro.
http://craigkier.com/