Connecticut (Top40 Charts/ Connecticut Concert Opera) - Connecticut Concert Opera (www.connconcertopera.org) will present Leo Delibes' French opera Lakme on October 17, 2009 on the campus of West Hartford's Saint Joseph College.
Holders of Connecticut Opera tickets will be credited for one ticket when one Connecticut Concert Opera ticket is purchased. John D. Wadhams, board president of CT Concert Opera commented: "although we're saddened by the loss of CT Opera, we're excited that CT Concert Opera's large audiences indicate that we're playing a major role in keeping opera alive and well in CT."
Lakme is a tragic opera that combines the themes of an exotic location, the Orient's beautiful flowers, and Western colonials living in a foreign country. Set in mid-19th century British India, it tells the story of Nilakantha, a fanatical Brahmin priest and his daughter Lakme, who falls in love with a young British soldier. Delibes' music is rich in melody and brilliantly orchestrated, reflecting the mystical elements in the story. The most memorable sections of the opera are The Flower Duet and The Bell Song both of which are heard frequently in recitals and recordings as well as numerous TV commercials.
Soprano Sarah Callinan will sing the role of Lakme. Members of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra will accompany the singers.
Sarah Callinan made her CT Concert Opera debut in the 2008 performance of Trouble In Tahiti and The Medium. She also sang Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute with Boston Lyric Opera, Frasquita in Carmen with Michigan Opera Theater and performed the soprano solos in Handel's Messiah with Commonwealth Opera. She was the first-prize winner in the Connecticut Opera Guild's 2006 competition.
In addition to Sarah Callinan, soloists for the program are Michael-Paul Krubitzer (Gerald), tenor; Irwin Densen (Nilakantha), bass; Meredith Ziegler (Mallika), mezzo soprano; Jeremy Moore (Frederic), baritone; and Kyle Torrence (Hadji), baritone.
Doris Lang Kosloff, CT Concert Opera's artistic director will conduct and give a pre-performance lecture. Ms. Kosloff, a prominent operatic conductor and vocal coach, is a member of the faculty at the Hartt School of Music. CT Concert Opera's success is due in part to Ms. Kosloff's choosing exceptional professional talent, including young singers who show great promise.
The concert will be held on October 17, 2009 at 8:00 p.m. in Hoffman Auditorium at Saint Joseph College, West Hartford, CT. The pre-performance lecture will begin at 7:15 p.m. Tickets are $38 and $18 for students and may be purchased in advance at www.cabotix.com or by calling 860-722-2300, and at the door. Advance purchase is highly recommended, as space is limited.
CT Concert Opera, founded in 1991, offers both opera lovers and novices the opportunity to hear complete major operas in an accessible concert format. The company seeks to bring high quality, professional, operatic performances to the community at affordable prices, to heighten general knowledge about opera, and to nurture new performing talent.
