Summer Opera Festival 2012

Joint BCO and CUA summer opera festival is a highly professional training opera program for rising professionals. Forty three singers that have been selected to participate in the program this year will receive individual attention from the leading teachers, coaches and professionals in the area. Festival program includes voice lessons, coachings, diction lessons, daily yoga sessions, various workshops, master classes and vocal performance seminars.

Faculty: Rick Christman, Fabiana Bravo, Sharon Christman, Stanley Cornett, Francois Loup, Giovanni Reggioli, Denyce Graves,Henriette Lund, Mattia D'Affuso, Nicholas Catravas, David Ballena, Kayme Henkel, David Hill, Michael Parker, Seyoung Jeong, Kathleen Scott, Joel Borrelli-Boudreau, Katerina Souvorova, Kethia Clairvoyant, Guillaume Tourniaire, Peter Kozma, Kate Huntress-Reeve.

Two intense weeks of staging and music rehearsals will result in four performances of Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro and Bizet's Carmen as well as a separate performance of The evening of the opera scenes and arias.

All performances are fully staged, in costume, sung in Italian (Le Nozze di Figaro) and French with English spoken dialogs (Carmen) and projected English supertitles. The performances of the operas as well as the concert of the opera scenes and arias are accompanied by BCO chamber orchestra.

G. Bizet Carmen

Friday, June 15, 7:30pm

Sunday, June 17, 3:00pm

Director: Guillaume Tourniaire. Conductors: Joel Borrelli-Boudreau, Katerina Souvorova

W. Mozart Le Nozze di Figaro

Saturday, June 16 , 3:00pm

Sunday, June 17, 7.30pm

Director: Peter Kozma, Conductor: Kathleen Scott

An evening of Arias and Opera Scenes

Saturday, June 16, 7.30pm

Director: Kate Huntress-Reeve, Rick Christman.

Conductors: Kathleen Scott, Joel Borelli Boudreau, Katerina Souvorova

All festival performances are presented at the Ward Hall of the Benjamin T.Rome School of Music, at Catholic University of America, 620 Michigan Ave., N.E., Washington DC 20064

Tickets are sold online through www.eventbrite.com Buy tickets

Online Adult: $25, Student: $15. At the door Adult: $25, Student: $15. Groups of 10 and more: $20.

Ticket information: (301) 266-7546 or at tickets@belcantanti.com

Eugene Onegin

A lyric opera in three acts, seven scenes by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Onegin: Jye-Sung Moon, Tatyana: Maryann Mootos, Youngjoo An, Lenski:: Youngchul Park, Ryan Brock, Olga: Lindsey Paradise, Madame Larina: Chantelle Grant, Fillipyevna: Emily Crockett, Prince Gremin: Kwang Kyu Lee,Triquet: Kyle Tomlin, Zaretsky: Adam Sterling, Eric Sillers.

W. Mozart's Der Schauspieldirektor

J. Offenbach's Monsieur Choufleuri restera chez lui le...

"... Stage director Guillaume Tourniaire worked miracles with his cramped space, particularly in the Offenbach; the performers camped it up with goofy disco moves and deliberately schlocky stage business ... soprano Kimberly Christie displayed both uninhibited movement and shining vocal abilities... Everyone gave their all, the music was delightful, the sets and staging were entertaining, and the vitality of the art form continued to inspire and transport..." _Washington Post

" The ever reliable Bel Cantanti Opera continues to bring to eager audiences engagingly produced operas with excellent singers. Once again the company has turned an onus into a bonus by taking advantage of their modest resources and substituting creativity for big bucks.
The curtain raiser, Mozart’s Der Schauspieldirektor (The Impresario) was well staged and acted... The two rival sopranos, Elisabeth Turchi and Nola Richardson, took turns stealing the show – as well it should be. Tenor Adam Juran added greatly to the ensemble work which was excellent and tight, and produced the comic effect Mozart desired...Soprano Kimberly Christie, in the role of Choufleuri’s daughter Ernestine, once again proved herself a fine comedic actor gifted with an exceptionally beautiful and agile voice...Kwang Kyu Lee, as the title character (and as Herr Buff in Impresario) has a beautiful voice. His acting is also excellent, and one admires him for his boldness in taking on two roles, each of which had a great deal of spoken dialogue in English - which is not his first language... Eric Gramatges as Ernestine’s admirer sang with ease and complemented Ms. Christie’s voice in their duets. The smaller roles were filled imaginatively and admirably..." _Maurice Saylor. Review of the January 29th, 2012, performance.

Stage Director: Guillaume Tourniaire. Costume Designer: Lois Dinlop.

Herr Eiler: Adam Juran, Frau Herz: Elisabeth Turchi, Fraulein Silberklang: Nola Richardson, Herr Buff: Kwang Kyu Lee, Herr Frank: Michael Brown.

Ernestine: Kimberly Christie, Chrysodule Babylas: Eric Gramatges, Monsieur Choufleuri: Kwang Kyu Lee, Petermann: Adam Juran, Madame Balandard: Monica Soto-Gil, Monsieur Balandard:Ted Kerrick, Madame Le Tilleul: Megan Goates, Monsieur Le Tilleul: John Danley, Monsieur de Fort Canon: Michael Brown, Madame de St. Hermione: Reba Winstead.

Puccini...Puccini...Puccini

Bel Cantanti Opera Company's Benefit Concert

Seyoung Jeong, Maryann Mootos, Younjoo An, Lingling Peng, Anamer Castrello, Katelyn Jackman, Laura Bass, Emily Crockett, Crossley Hawn, Megan Ihnen, Jennifer Weingartner, Denise Young, Joann Moorer, Elisabeth Reeves, Susan Preuter, Zoe Kanter, Anais Naharro-Murphy, Kevin Courtemanche, Eric Gramatges, Jason Moon, Benjamin LaPrairie, Kwang Kyu Lee.