Concerts
As we raise funds and hope to receive more donations towards our next two productions, we have put in place a concert series of staged opera excerpts and musical theater duets and arias in libaries, retirement homes, churches, museums, and also at private gala events:
Immortal Love Songs,
featuring Bass-baritone Richard Michael Cassell and Mezzo-soprano Frances Devine,
Silvercrest Home, 144-45 87th Avenue, Briarhurst NY , on August 24, 2:30 pm
Isabella Geriatric Center, 515 Audobon Avenue, on October 2, 3 pm
Bialystoker Retirement Home , 228 E. Broadway, NY NY 10002, on October 13, 2:30 pm,
Esplanade Hotel, 205 West End Avenue, on November 6 , 7 pm.
These concerts are open to the public, and 10 dollar donation to the artists is suggested.
Upcoming Productions: Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Don Giovanni
When opera came to America
In 1825 the Manuel Garcia company introduced Italian Opera the the United States at the invitation of Lorenzo da Ponter, Professor of Italian at Columbia University and librettist of Don Giovanni by Mozart. A brilliant season of Mozart and Rossini attracted the elite of New York City to the now defunct Park Theater and starred Garcia's daughter , Maria Malibran, the most celebrated mezzo soprano of the century.
Following 2 sold out performances of La Cenerentola by Rossini just this January, we performed Rossini's ever-popular Barber of Seville, at the Bechstein Piano Center on West 58th St on June 24th. We hope to present this work with a chamber orchestra in the near future, as well as Don Giovanni, which was also part of the first Italian Opera season in America. Please check back for upcoming performance dates.
