All material found in the Press Releases section is provided by parties entirely independent of Musical America, which is not responsible for content.
Press Releases
Oct. 27: Richard Tucker Music Foundation to Present 2019 Gala Concert Featuring Lisette Oropesa at Carnegie Hall
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Katy Salomon | Morahan Arts and Media
katy@morahanartsandmedia.com | 863.660.2214
Richard Tucker Music Foundation to Present
2019 Gala Concert at Carnegie Hall, October 27
Featuring 2019 Richard Tucker Award Winner Lisette Oropesa
Performers to Include Jamie Barton, Angel Blue, Michael Fabiano, Bryan Hymel, Ermonela Jaho,
Lucas Meachem, Ailyn Pérez, Matthew Polenzani, Artur Rucinski, and Christian Van Horn
Watch Christian Van Horn and Marco Armiliato Perform at the 2018 Gala
New York, NY (July 9, 2019) — The Richard Tucker Music Foundation presents one of the most highly anticipated events of the opera season, the 2019 Richard Tucker Gala, on Sunday, October 27, 2019 at 6:00pm in Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall.
The annual concert features coloratura soprano Lisette Oropesa, winner of the 2019 Richard Tucker Award, as well as winners of past Richard Tucker Awards and honored guests including sopranos Angel Blue, Ailyn Pérez, and Ermonela Jaho; mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton; tenors Michael Fabiano, Bryan Hymel, andMatthew Polenzani; baritones Lucas Meachem and Artur Rucinski; and bass-baritone Christian Van Horn. The program features iconic arias and ensemble pieces led by Maestro James Gaffigan with members of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and the New York Choral Society.
After Richard Tucker’s untimely death in 1975, his duo partner and friend Robert Merrill worked with the Tucker family to organize a gathering of opera legends, including Martina Arroyo and Roberta Peters, to take place on what would have been the duo’s next date at Carnegie Hall. The Richard Tucker Music Foundation was formed later that year, and the concert became an annual tradition, raising funds to support young American opera singers and keep the beloved tenor’s memory alive. Having relocated across town to Lincoln Center in 1989, the gala made a return to its original home at Carnegie Hall with a sold-out house in 2016. For more than four decades, audiences at both locations have been able to depend on the foundation’s annual gala to bring together some of opera’s most illustrious stars, including Leonard Bernstein, Montserrat Caballé, Plácido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, Leontyne Price, and Joan Sutherland.
The Richard Tucker Music Foundation is a non-profit cultural organization dedicated to perpetuating the artistic legacy of the great Brooklyn-born tenor by nurturing the careers of talented young American opera singers. Through awards, grants for study, performance opportunities, and other activities, the foundation provides professional development for singers at various stages of their careers. It also offers free performances in the New York metropolitan area, and supports music education enrichment programs. Each year, the foundation confers its most prestigious prize, the Richard Tucker Award, on an artist poised at the edge of a major international career. Often referred to as the “Heisman Trophy of Opera,” the award comes with a $50,000 cash prize as well as the ongoing support of the Tucker family and foundation. Past winners include Christine Goerke, Stephanie Blythe, Lawrence Brownlee, Stephen Costello, Joyce DiDonato, Renée Fleming, and Nadine Sierra.
About Lisette Oropesa
Lisette Oropesa is one of the most in demand lyric coloraturas today, who has triumphed in various roles throughout the most important houses in Europe and the US. A bel canto singer of considerable acclaim, Lisette had a major success recently at Covent Garden and the Teatro Real Madrid as Lucia di Lammermoor. She appears regularly in major theatres all around the world including the Metropolitan Opera, the Bayerische Staatsoper, and the Opéra National de Paris, and is set to make several more important debuts in the coming seasons. Known for her liquid legato and seamless voice, stylistic integrity, precise coloratura, and superlative acting, Lisette excels in the repertoire of the bel canto, Mozart, and French composers. Her upcoming season includes exciting role and house debuts, concerts, and welcome returns to many beloved theatres.
Lisette was born in New Orleans, Louisiana to Cuban parents, and played the flute for 12 years before she began her studies in vocal performance at Louisiana State University. After winning the Met Opera National Council Auditions, she entered the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program and moved to New York City. She sang her first major role, Susanna in Le Nozze Di Figaro, at the Metropolitan Opera at the age of 22, and has sung there in over 100 performances in many different roles since. She has appeared in concert halls and opera stages all over the world since graduating from the young artist program in 2008, and has become one of the most celebrated singers of her generation, both for her singing and her inspiring personal story. Lisette is a devoted runner who has completed 6 marathons and is an advocate for health and fitness. Learn more at www.lisetteoropesa.com.
Program Information
The Richard Tucker Music Foundation Presents: The 2019 Richard Tucker Gala
Sunday, October 27, 2019 at 6:00pm
Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall
881 7th Ave | New York, NY
Link: https://richardtucker.org/
Tickets:
Tickets start at $40 for the concert and at $1,500 for the concert together with a post-performance Gala Dinner at the Plaza Hotel. Tickets are now available for exclusive pre-sale only through the Foundation – information may be found at www.richardtucker.org or by calling 212.757.2218.
Beginning August 19, tickets will also be available from Carnegie Hall online at carnegiehall.org, by calling CarnegieCharge at (212) 247-7800, or by visiting the box office, located at 57th Street and Seventh Avenue.
Performers
2019 Richard Tucker Award-Winner Lisette Oropesa
Winners of Past Richard Tucker Awards and Honored Guests:
Jamie Barton, 2015 Richard Tucker Award Winner
Angel Blue
Michael Fabiano, 2014 Richard Tucker Award Winner
Bryan Hymel
Ermonela Jaho
Lucas Meachem
Ailyn Pérez, 2012 Richard Tucker Award Winner
Matthew Polenzani, 2004 Richard Tucker Award Winner
Artur Rucinski
Christian Van Horn, 2018 Richard Tucker Award Winner
Maestro James Gaffigan
Members of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
New York Choral Society
# # #
*Photo at the top of release by Dario Acosta
Download Press Photos for the 2019 Richard Tucker Foundation Gala
FEATURED JOBS
RENT A PHOTO
