Last but not least in our “Preview” series is Barbara Shirvis, an “authentic blonde beauty” (Opera News) and powerhouse soprano. Ms. Shirvis will be performing excerpts from The Marriage of Figaro, Rusalka, Phantom of the Opera, and A Little Night Music at Opera in the Park, and we couldn’t be more excited to have her with us in Madison.
In addition to her performance with Madison Opera this summer, Ms. Shrivis will sing the title role in Tosca in concert performances with the Minnesota Orchestra, opposite her husband and fellow OITP guest artist Stephen Powell as Scarpia. Throughout her career, Mozart has been her calling card, with triumphs around the country as Fiordiligi in Cosi fan Tutte in particular. But Ms. Shirvis’s range of repertoire is wide, having conquered everything from Verdi to Ricky Ian Gordon. A frequent concert artist and recitalist, she has partnered with Powell for programs spanning the American songbook, and the Opera in the Park audience will be treated to her rendition of “Do, Re, Mi” come Saturday.
Click here to listen to a sample of Barbara Shirvis singing “Come Scoglio” from Cosi fan Tutte.
Madison Opera’s General Director Allan Naplan and our Opera in the Park guest artists will be making the rounds on local news channels over the next few days. Here’s where you can find them:
Thursday, July 15, 4 p.m. / News with Carleen Wild on NBC15
Friday, July 16, 6:40 a.m. / Wake Up Wisconsin on WKOW27
Friday, July 16, 12:20 p.m. / News 3 at Noon on WISC-TV
Friday, July 16, 5 & 6 p.m. / News at 5 and News at 6 on WKOW27
Madison Opera is excited to announce a mobile giving option to support Opera in the Park 2010. The free event annually attracts over 13,000 people to Garner Park and offers the company a unique opportunity generate new support. Through a partnership with Give by Cell and the Mobile Giving Foundation, those interested in donating to Madison Opera can now text the word “OPERA” to the number 20222 to make a contribution of $10 in support of the Opera in the Park Fund.
Here’s how it works: on your mobile phone, prepare to send a text message to the number 20222, and enter the word “OPERA” as the message. After the message is sent, you will receive a confirmation text in return, prompting you to reply “YES” to finalize the transaction. Once you reply “YES,” the donation is entered!
A one-time donation of $10 will be added to your mobile phone bill or deducted from your prepaid balance. Messaging and Data Rates May Apply. All charges are billed by and payable to your mobile service provider. Service is available on most carriers. Donations are collected for the benefit of Madison Opera by the Mobile Giving Foundation and subject to the terms found at www.hmgf.org/t. You can unsubscribe at any time by replying STOP to short code 20222; Reply HELP to 20222 for help.
Madison Opera will not use your phone number for future SMS solicitation. View our privacy policy.
Soprano Anya Matanovic has been called “radiant”, “sweetly winning”, and “glorious” by critics from Seattle to Cleveland to Jerusalem. And you can hear her at Opera in the Park this Saturday.
Born in Madison, Wisconsin and raised in Issaquah, Washington to a Slovenian father and American mother, Anya now calls New York City her home. From there, she brings her “thrilling” voice to opera stages across the country. Anya made her professional opera debut, directly from her undergraduate studies at USC, as Mimì in the Los Angeles commercial engagement of Baz Luhrmann’s Tony Award-winning production of La Bohème. More recent engagements include work with the New Israeli Opera, Seattle Opera, Kentucky Opera and Opera Cleveland.
At Opera in the Park, Anya will sing highlights from The Marriage of Figaro as Susanna, a role she’ll reprise with Madison Opera in the fall, in addition to displaying the vocal fireworks of Violetta’s “Sempre libera” aria from La Traviata.
I’ve just posted the Opera in the Park program to our website, check it out! Our four exciting guest artists along with the Madison Opera Chorus, Madison Symphony Orchestra, and Maestro John DeMain will definitely be bringing you some exciting repertoire this Saturday night.
From Mozart, Donizetti, Dvorak, Puccini, and Verdi to Weill, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Sondheim, and more, there’s a great mix, certainly a little something for everyone. In addition to highlighting The Marriage of Figaro, The Threepenny Opera, and La Traviata–our three mainstage productions next season–we’re also marking the 50th anniversary of The Sound of Music with a medley from that musical. The evening will end with a celebration of the composer Stephen Sondheim’s 80th birthday, featuring selections from across his legendary career.
Here’s a tasteof what to expect: “Libiamo”from Verdi’s La Traviata, one you’re sure to recognize on Saturday night:
Last but not least in our “Preview” series is Barbara Shirvis, an “authentic blonde beauty” (Opera News) and powerhouse soprano. Ms. Shirvis will be performing excerpts from The Marriage of Figaro, Rusalka, Phantom of the Opera, and A Little Night Music at Opera in the Park, and we couldn’t be more excited to have her with us in Madison.
