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Press Releases
International Conductor Ramon Tebar Named Artistic Director of Opera Naples
"I am very honored to be appointed Artistic Director of Opera Naples, a company that has grown non-stop since its founding, which is a real achievement in today's opera world," stated Maestro Tebar. "I am looking forward to a very productive and creative relationship, and to making music for such an exciting community."
Tebar's guesting credits include leading operatic repertoire for such distinguished organizations as Italy's Teatro Regio di Torino, Martina Franca Festival, and Teatro Lirico di Cagliari; Spain's Festival de Opera de A Coruna; Germany's Kolner Philharmonie; Russia's Kremlin Palace; Netherlands's Het Concertgebouw and Argentina's Teatro Colon. Among his orchestral guesting credits are Orquesta Sinfonica Ciudad de Oviedo and Orquesta de Radio Television Espanola in Spain; St. Petersburg Symphony and Moscow State Symphony Orchestra in Russia; Orchestra de Rouen Haute-Normandie in France; Het Gelders Orkest in the Netherlands; Orchestra Teatro Regio di Torino and the Spoleto Festival Orchestra in Italy, to name a few.
Born in Valencia, Spain, Ramon Tebar began working as a pianist and Assistant Conductor in his home town at the age of fifteen. Later he started to conduct his first symphonic concerts (and made his operatic debut soon after with Don Pasquale). He was Assistant Conductor with the Youth National Orchestra of Spain (Joven Orquesta Nacional de Espana, JONDE), and in the meantime, he graduated with honors from Valencia's Conservatorio Superior de Musica Joaquin Rodrigo. Since his arrival in the US in 2005, Ramon Tebar has been part of the musical staff of Palm Beach Opera and Cincinnati Opera, working in around 40 opera productions, while maintaining a full schedule in Europe. Maestro Tebar has been honored twice with the Henry C. Clark Conductor of the Year Award by Florida Grand Opera (2010, 2013). He was recently honored by Marca Espana as being among the most successful international Spanish talents with the "100 espanoles" Award, and featured by the Miami Herald as "Top 20 under 40", and by the Spanish journal AB among "Ten International Spanish Conductors".
Opera Naples
Celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2014-15, Opera Naples has produced some of the most beloved operas and earned significant praise from both critics and patrons since its inception. Cosi Fan Tutte was called a "blowout performance." La Boheme's staging was "electrifying," with an "irresistable Mimi, a robust performance with largely local talent." Carmen played to sold out houses in 2011, and the 2012 production of Faust received this praise from local arts reporter Harriet Heithaus: "Opera Naples stoked Charles Gounod's opera with everything it had Friday to produce engaging drama, gorgeous music and light-fueled settings that put the audience in every scene."
Along with grand opera performances, Opera Naples has presented a Stars under the Stars concert and Gilbert and Sullivan operettas in Cambier Park. Concert presentations have featured major artists such as Anthony Kearns and Patricia Racette. They have produced major choral works, such as Verdi's Requiem in local churches.
Community outreach, one of the founding principles, introduces opera to new audiences across the region. Each year Opera Naples holds a summer camp for young artists aged 10-22 who work on sets and costumes, and perform in operettas such as The Mikado and The Pirates of PenzanceThere is a Young Artists and Student Apprentice program that allows for more focused development of emerging talent.
Opera Naples regularly produces a family opera, for public performance as well as presentation in local schools. To further promote cultural arts in Southwest Florida, Opera Naples has collaborated with other arts organizations, including TheatreZone, the music department at Florida Gulf Coast University, and the ArtsNaples World Festival.
Opera Naples recently announced that it is the recipient of a 2014 $500,000 grant from the Florida Department of Cultural Affairs for completion of its new home, the David and Cecil Wang Opera Center. The center will open with the 2014-2015 season.
Mr. Tebar is represented by IMG Artists. Further information on Mr. Tebar may be found at www.ramon-tebar.com. Additional information on Opera Naples may be found at www.operanaples.org.
Details of Opera Naples's 2014-2015 season will be released in several weeks.
Publicity Contact:
Laura Grant, Grant Communications
917.359.7319; Laura@grant-communications.com
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