Inspiration for Solstice 2010

by Artistic Director

Deborah Berioli

 

The soul stirring harmonies of Gustav Holst and frolics of Gioachino Rossini bring these four glorious voices together.  Summer Solstice – the longest day of the year, we are grateful for the bounties of life, the gifts of the earth and sun and moon – we move with the elements and in this energy raise our voices in awe of the beauties of the earth.  As the searing heat of day cools into lengthened evenings we enjoy time with our family and friends.  In gratitude, our voices raised blending as one, rejoicing in radiant splendor!

 

Featured Guest Artist

Bo Chang

Professional Biography

 

Bo Chang, mezzo-soprano, has appeared with the Lucerne Festival Academy Orchestra, San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, The Juilliard Percussion Ensemble, The New Juilliard Ensemble, Ensemble Sospeso, Ensemble NOW, counter) induction, American Contemporary Music Ensemble, Continuum and the Chicago Symphony among others, and has given concerts in Asia, Europe and the US, of works by Berio, Crumb, Boulez, Druckman, Sciarrino, Ligeti, Hrabovsky, Gubaidulina, Pintscher and Schoenberg. Her recent works include Schoenberg's Pierrot Lunaire in Paula Robison's new English translation, performances of Boulez's Le marteau sans maitre with members of the Argento Chamber Ensemble including a masterclass with Boulez, the first staged version of Tony Prabowo's operas The King's Witch, then Kali in Jakarta, a tour of the Mongolian countryside with artists of various disciplines and styles performing for the townspeople and nomads, and a performance at MoMA of Paul Schoenfield's Camp Songs with poems by Kulisiewicz, a Holocaust survivor, that the NYTimes noted "underlined the power of the anger beneath the velvet glove of a luxuriously good performance."

 

Featured Guest Artist

Reba Evans

Professional Biography

 

Reba Evans, mezzo-soprano, just completed her junior year as a Vocal Performance major at the University of Miami Frost School of Music where she has most recently performed the role of Hansel in a scene from Humperdinck’s opera Hansel und Gretel and sang in the chorus of Strawberry Fields by Michael Torke.  Miss Evans has participated in The University of Miami School of Music at Salzburg Program in 2009 and has been invited to attend the prestigious Bel Canto Institute in Florence, Italy where she will have the opportunity to study Italian language and the art of traditional bel canto singing this summer. A 2007 Out-of-Door Academy graduate, she has performed in the Sarasota area for many years including lead roles with the Sarasota Youth Opera and in the chorus for several Sarasota Opera mainstage productions such as La Bohème, Die Zauberflöte, and Pagliacci.  Miss Evans first performed with Venice Performing Arts Series in 2009 and is delighted to return this season.

 

Featured Guest Artist

Melissa Vitrella

Professional Biography

 

Melissa Vitrella is currently a young artist in residence with Opera Naples in Southwest Florida, where she most recently sang the role of Third Lady in Mozart's The Magic Flute.

Ms. Vitrella made her professional debut at Opera Naples in the role of Flora in Verdi's La Traviata. The Naples daily news called her a "surprise power hitter: an attention-getting mezzo voice and good stage presence."

The young mezzo-soprano was an Affiliate Artist at Orlando Opera, where she performed the roles of the Mistress of the Novices in Puccini's Suor Angelica, and Isabelle in Gilbert and Sullivan's Pirates of Penzance. Ms. Vitrella also worked as the Assistant Director of Orlando Opera's "Pirates!" Summer Opera Camp.

Melissa earned her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Stetson University, where she was the 2003 Concerto Competition Winner. While there, she performed the roles of Hansel in Humperdink's Hansel and Gretel, Sesto in Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito, and Dido in Purcell's Dido and Aeneas. She attended graduate school with a voice teaching assistantship at Florida State University, where she sang the roles of Florence Pike in Britten's Albert Herring, Dinah in Bernstein's Trouble in Tahiti, and Cornelia in Handel's Giulio Cesare in Egitto.

Melissa is moving to Naples, Florida this fall to continue her work with Opera Naples. She is currently a cantor at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Orlando.