Opera Naples Announces Its 2015-2016 Season

Naples, FL – Opera Naples’ Chairman of the Board and Acting Executive Director John Hushon and the company’s Artistic Director Ramon Tebar, announced today what they described as the company’s most exciting season to date, rich with international performers and new initiatives both on stage and off.

Opera Naples’ principal offerings this season include three classic operas and one contemporary work, and the introduction of a three-part chamber concert series.

The first major work will be Johann Strauss Jr.’s beloved farcical operetta, Die Fledermaus (in collaboration with the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra), with its spirited music and interconnecting story lines in two acts in December; followed in January by a production of Donizetti’s opera buffa, Don Pasquale, a tale of the antics of Ernesto, a young man whose uncle has vowed to disinherit him when he refuses to marry a woman the uncle has selected as his bride, and the help provided by the nephew’s true love and the Don’s friend. Also in February, Opera Naples Young Artists Program presents the hilarious Four Notes Opera, the work of contemporary American music critic and composer Tom Johnson. The third major production, in March, will be La Traviata, Verdi’s heartbreaking tale of a desirable, yet fragile, Parisian courtesan, who gives up the man she loves for the sake of his family’s good name.

Opera Naples also presents the debut season of the Beaux Arts Chamber Concert Series, founded by internationally renowned concert pianists Tao Lin and Catherine Lan. Former child prodigies, now performing in major concert halls around the world, the two musicians will play with three distinguished chamber ensembles: the legendary Shanghai String Quartet, the brilliant Aspen String Trio, and the Grammy award-winning Ying String Quartet.

Ramon Tebar commented, “We are presenting a thrilling, balanced season of large and small-scale productions with international soloist who have sung in renowned venues worldwide as well as noted local and regional artists. The season offers traditional and contemporary works along with innovative, smaller scale concerts.

“In addition to many talented stars, such as tenor Chris Merritt, baritone Nelson Martinez and soprano Elizabeth Caballero, Opera Naples is also presenting the extraordinarily gifted musicians of the new Chamber Concert Series.”

“In the last 18 months,” John Hushon commented, “we’ve received two substantial grants from the state; opened our new permanent home, the David and Cecile Wang Opera Center and hired Ramón Tebar as our Artistic Director. We are currently conducting a nationwide search for a new Executive Director, and hope to make that announcement before the end of the year.

“In addition to the two major grants for Cultural Facilities, we’ve also received two state grants for support of programming – we are one of very few arts organizations to receive such grants in Southwest Florida – and the only one to receive both types of grants.

“We feel reinvigorated,” Hushon continued. “Now entering our second decade, we’re taking a fresh look at everything we do – our marketing, our productions, our venues and our outreach programs – looking to present what we are striving to become: a renewed, updated and contemporary opera company ready to meet the challenges and demands of the years ahead.”

Reflecting its new drive, Opera Naples’ marketing initiatives include a refreshed logo and a new interactive website to be launched next month. Its innovative productions also include two themed concerts, one an evening of favorite Neapolitan songs from Italy, the other an evening of Zarzuela, the music and song art form that originated in Spain in the 17th century.

The company continues to present its major productions at Artis-Naples and its own David and Cecile Wang Opera Center, the centerpiece of the Davis Triangle Redevelopment Zone in east Naples. Other innovations this season include the staging of La Traviata in the new pavilion on the grounds of the Ritz-Carlton Tiburon, and the inauguration of a new “Opera in the Garden” series in collaboration with Naples Botanical Garden.

Opera Naples’ outreach programs this year include the New Artists Program and a new course, Get ON Learning!, that is open to community members of all ages for a small fee, and will offer a range of classes, including vocal technique, diction and acting for singers, as well as discussions of opera literature, all taught by local professionals.

“There are a lot of wonderful things happening at Opera Naples,” Tebar concluded. “There’s a real sense of excitement in the air. We’ve lined up some really outstanding performers, productions and programs to create what we hope will be another truly memorable season.”

The complete season follows below:

OPERA NAPLES 2015-2016 SEASON

For tickets: Call Opera Naples Box Office (239) 963-9050 or visit www.operanaples.org, unless otherwise noted.

The David and Cecile Wang Opera Center is located at 2408 Linwood Avenue, Naples, FL 34112.

NOVEMBER 19, 2015 A Neapolitan Evening - Season Opening Concert
Featuring Francesco Valpa, tenor, Leah Summers, mezzo-soprano, and Friends
Ramon Tebar, accompanist
8:00 PM, David and Cecile Wang Opera Center
Tickets: VIP $99, Premium $79, A $65, B $49

DECEMBER 15, 2015 Beaux Arts Chamber Music Series
8:00 PM, David and Cecile Wang Opera Center
Tao Lin and Catherine Lan, pianists, series founders
Performing with the Shanghai String Quartet
“Nationalism from Central to Northern Europe”
Featuring music by Antonin Dvorak and Edvard Grieg
Tickets: VIP $59, Premium $39, students and teachers $25

DECEMBER 22, 2015 Die Fledermaus
(in collaboration with the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra)
8:00 PM, Hayes Hall, Artis-Naples
Revenge, seduction, and mistaken identity all feature in Johan Strauss Jr.’s comic tale of a married man, Eisenstein, (baritone Sean Anderson “a velvet voice” –Opera News), who, due to report to jail for tax evasion, is persuaded by his friend, Dr. Falke (baritone Christopher Holloway “robust baritone” –Salt Lake Tribuneto attend a ball being thrown by Russian Prince Orlofsy so that Falke can exact revenge on Eisenstein for a past offense. Meanwhile, Eisenstein’s wife, (soprano Danielle Pastin “lovely demeanor and irresistible creamy timbre” –Opera News) who is having an affair, ends up with her lover taken to jail by mistake in place of her husband. Everything revolves around the ball, where plots and rendezvous go astray.
Gabriel von Eisenstein - Sean Anderson, baritone
Rosalinde, Eisenstein’s wife - Danielle Pastin, soprano
Alfred, Rosalinde’s lover - TBA
Adele, Rosalinde’s maid - Maria Aleida, soprano
Dr. Falke, Eisenstein’s friend - Chris Holloway, baritone
Prince Orlovsky - Leah Summers, mezzo-soprano
Frank, Prison Governor - Eric Mckeever, baritone
Dr. Blind, Eisenstein’s lawyer - Chris Merritt, tenor
Stage Director, Jose Maria Condemi
Ramon Tebar, conductor
Tickets: VIP -Gold Circle and Boxes $135, Premium $119, A $99, B $79, C$49
Available through Artis-Naples Box Office (239) 597-1900 or by subscription to Opera Naples, with subscription discount. Call Opera Naples Box Office (239) 963-9050 for more information.

JANUARY 14 and 16, 2016 Don Pasquale
8:00 PM, David and Cecile Wang Opera Center
Gaetano Donizetti’s comic masterpiece features baritone Steven Condy (“an artist willing to go the extra mile” –OperaOnline.us) as Don Pasquale, an old man who wants his nephew Ernesto (tenor William Davenport “huge vocal ability” –Italian News) to marry, and selects a bride for him. Ernesto, who is already in love with Norina (soprano Hailey Clark “brilliant, highly refined soprano voice” –The Ann Arbor News), refuses and is thrown out. Pasquale then plans to marry a young woman himself, and disinherit Ernesto. Through the aid of Pasquale’s physician, Dr. Malesto (baritone Jonathan Beyer “robust, handsome voice” –Washington Post) the three conceive a plot to fool him and teach him a lesson.
Don Pasquale - Steven Condy, baritone
Norina - Hailey Clark, soprano
Ernesto - William Davenport, tenor
Dr. Malatesta - Jonathan Beyer baritone
Jeffrey Buchmann, Stage Director
Ramon Tebar, conductor
Tickets: VIP $99, Premium $79, A $65, B $49

JANUARY 29, 2016 Beaux Arts Chamber Music Series
8:00 PM, David and Cecile Wang Opera Center
Tao Lin and Catherine Lan, pianists, series founders
Performing with The Aspen String Trio
“Classical & Gypsy”
Featuring music by Richard Strauss,Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Johannes Brahms
Tickets: VIP $59, Premium $39, Students and teachers $25

FEBRUARY 9, 2016 “Opera in the Garden”
8:00 PM, Naples Botanical Garden
New series in collaboration with Naples Botanical Garden

FEBRUARY 12 and 13, 2016 The Four Notes Opera (A Young Artists Production)
8:00 PM, David and Cecile Wang Opera Center
Hilarious, one-hour spoof on opera conventions by composer and former New York City Village Voice newspaper music critic Tom Johnson will have audiences laughing the entire time.
Tickets: VIP $59, Premium $49, Students and teachers $29
(Included free with season subscription)

FEBRUARY 22, 2016 The Winter Palace Ball (Gala) (Annual Black Tie Fundraiser)
6:30 PM, Grey Oaks Country Club
2400 Grey Oaks Drive North, Naples 34105
Tickets: $350 and $500 (VIP)
Tables of ten: $3,500 or $5,000 (VIP)

MARCH 8, 2016 Beaux Arts Chamber Music Series
8:00 PM, David and Cecile Wang Opera Center
Tao Lin and Catherine Lan, pianists, series founders
Performing with the Ying String Quartet
“Impression & Romance”
Featuring music by Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel and Robert Schumann
Tickets: VIP $59, Premium $39, students and teachers $25

MARCH 18 and 20, 2016 La Traviata
Considered one of opera’s greatest tragic romances, Guiseppe Verdi’s popular work tells the tale of Violetta, a consumptive courtesan (soprano Elizabeth Caballero “big, rangy, darkly glowing lyric-coloratura instrument capable of precise fioriture and crystalline high D-flats –Opera News) who falls in love with the young nobleman, Alfredo Germont, then sacrifices her love for him at his father’s request (Nelson Martinez “magnificent” –KnightFoundation.org).
8:00 PM, The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort at Tiburon in the new Pavilion
2600 Tiburon Drive, Naples 34109
Violetta, courtesan - Elizabeth Caballero, soprano
Alfredo Germont, Violetta’s young lover - TBA
Giorgio Germont, Alfredo’s father - Nelson Martinez
Stage director, TBA
Ramon Tebar, conductor
Tickets: VIP $159, Premium $119, A $89

APRIL 18, 2016 An Evening in the Palacio de Zarzuela
Martin Nusspaumer and Friends
8:00 PM, David and Cecile Wang Opera Center
Tickets: VIP $99, Premium $79, A $65, B $49

SEASON SUBSCRIPTIONS
Opera Naples Full Season (excludes The Winter Palace Ball)
VIP Gold $549, Premium $535, A Block $360, B Block $300
$3 TKT charge for each seat purchased is waived for subscription orders until August 28

Beaux Arts Full Season of Three Concerts
VIP $159, Premium $109, Student and Teacher $69

Get ON Learning! and other Education Outreach Programs
For further details on Get ON Learning! and other Opera Naples programs, please visit Opera Naples’ new website at www.operanaples.org for various program details, descriptions and dates.

ABOUT OPERA NAPLES
Situated on the breathtaking Gulf of Mexico in Florida’s Collier County, Opera Naples is dedicated to presenting opera productions and concerts of the highest quality. A regional artistic powerhouse in an area known for its world class dining, shopping, arts galleries and pristine beaches, the city’s opera company is a cultural jewel in Southwest Florida.

Opera Naples presents internationally renowned performers and directors, while encouraging, grooming, and showcasing young regional talent. It produces classic grand opera at various local venues each season, and chamber opera and concerts at the David and Cecile Wang Opera Center, its new home. A staunch proponent of community service and education outreach, the company has introduced opera to over 60,000 local area children since its inception, and offers various programs, including Lee and Collier county in-school programs and performances; the Young Artists Program; summer programs, and ONcore (for local and regional semi-professional singers).

Opera Naples is led by Artistic Director, internationally renowned Spanish conductor, Ramon Tebar, known for his musical versatility, compelling interpretations and orchestra building skills. Over the past decade, the company has earned local, regional and state government support. Opera Naples is grateful to its sponsors, patrons and many supporters who have helped it become an important part of the cultural fabric of the region.

The David and Cecile Wang Opera Center
(WOC)Opera Naples’ new home, which opened in January 2015, serves as the centerpiece of the Davis Triangle Redevelopment Zone in east Naples, an area focusing on cultural arts. The site was purchased, and the building funded largely by private donations from individuals like David and Cecile Wang, for whom the Center is named, and by grants from the State of Florida. The center is believed to be the first of its kind devoted to public musical performance and education to be opened in southwest Florida. The WOC boasts an approximately 6,000 square foot “black box” theatre known as the Judy and John Hushon Theater, which features one of the largest ballet floors in Naples (4,000 square feet), “opera” style seating for 286 (expandable to 344 in the future), a flexible stage, and ceiling infrastructure for lighting and sound systems. The seating is tiered and may be collapsed to permit a larger dance floor or alternative, flexible seating. In addition, the Center houses the company’s administrative offices, rehearsal rooms, class rooms, meeting space, educational activities, costume and scenery preparation and storage space. Inquiries for use and rental of the WOC to the community may be made to 239-963-9050.

www.operanaples.org
facebook.com/operanaples

The Opera Naples logo, 2015-16 season poster, publicity photos of Artistic Director Tebar, guest artists and the Wang Opera Center are available upon request.
Contact Laura Grant at Laura@grant-communications.com.