Tickets to Palm Beach Opera’s 2018-2019 Season, Including Exciting New Concert, Available for Purchase
- A night of… Rising Stars & Classic Melodies. – Dec. 18, 2018
- Giuseppe Verdi’s La traviata – Jan. 25-27, 2019
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Don Giovanni – Feb. 22-24, 2019
- Johann Strauss II’s Die Fledermaus – Mar. 22-24, 2019
(West Palm Beach, FL – Aug. 31, 2018) Tickets to Palm Beach Opera’s 2018-2019 mainstage season will be available to the public for purchase on Sept. 5. The company’s season of opera opens with new a concert, A night of… Rising Stars & Classic Melodies, and includes performances of Giuseppe Verdi’s La traviata, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Don Giovanni, and Johann Strauss II’s Die Fledermaus. All of Palm Beach Opera’s productions will be performed in the Dreyfoos Concert Hall at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach.
A night of… Rising Stars & Classic Melodies. – Dec. 18
The 2018-2019 season opens on Tuesday, Dec. 18, with the company’s new concert, A night of… Rising Stars & Classic Melodies. The talented singers of Palm Beach Opera’s rigorous Benenson Young Artist and Apprentice Artist programs will perform opera’s greatest hits and Broadway favorites. This one-night only event will also feature a special guest appearance by world-renowned opera star Stephanie Blythe.
With more than 600 applicants in a single season, Palm Beach Opera’s growing training programs continue to be a launching pad for emerging artists. A night of… Rising Stars & Classic Melodies will showcase the next generation of opera singers, and will also feature the Palm Beach Opera orchestra.
“We are thrilled to welcome back Stephanie Blythe to the Palm Beach Opera stage, and to have her join us as we celebrate the exceptional singers of our Benenson Young Artist and Apprentice Artist programs in this exciting new concert,” said Managing Director David Walker. “This will be a unique opportunity for audiences to enjoy rising stars on the brink of international stardom, and the vocal powerhouse of one of the world’s most beloved opera stars.”
Giuseppe Verdi’s La traviata – Jan. 25-27
The first opera of the 2018-2019 season is Giuseppe Verdi’s La traviata, the heartbreaking story of a Parisian courtesan’s impossible choice between love and moral obligation. Sopranos Kristina Mkhitaryan, who will make her Metropolitan Opera debut this season, and Jacqueline Echols (Jan. 26), praised for her “dynamic range and vocal acrobatics” by Classical Voice, will sing the shared role of Violetta in debut performances. Returning to Palm Beach Opera as Alfredo Germont is tenor Alexey Tatarintsev, who recently appeared in the company’s production of Rigoletto, and former Palm Beach Opera Benenson Young Artist Derrek Stark (Jan. 26). Appearing on the Palm Beach Opera stage for the first time, Baritone Massimo Cavalletti, who recently debuted with the Paris Opera, will play Giorgio Germont.
Palm Beach Opera’s 2018-2019 Benenson Young Artist Natalie Rose Havens will sing the role of Flora Bervoix, and former Benenson Young Artist Brian Wallin, who is returning to the program for another season, will sing Gastone. The cast and orchestra will be led by Verdi specialist Maestro Antonello Allemandi, who previously conducted the company’s internationally acclaimed production of Rigoletto. Director Fabio Ceresa, who won the 2016 International Opera Award for Young Director, will also make his Palm Beach Opera debut. Lighting Designer Stuart Duke, who debuted with Palm Beach Opera in the recent production of Tosca, will return to design the lighting of La traviata.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Don Giovanni – Feb. 22-24
Palm Beach Opera will present a film noir-inspired production of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Don Giovanni, a tale of a libertine’s arrogance, corruption, and unrepentance. Palm Beach Opera’s Chief Conductor Maestro David Stern will lead the cast and orchestra for this production, marking another successful season with the company. Director Kristine McIntyre, who has directed more than 80 operas across the country, will make her Palm Beach Opera debut. In two Palm Beach Opera debuts, the title role of Don Giovanni will be performed by Baritones Andrei Bondarenko, who sang the same role for a Sony Classics recording of the opera, and Edward Nelson (Feb. 23), hailed as “an exciting protagonist” by Opera News. Bass Joshua Bloom, who has been praised by The Independent for his “thunderous sound,” will play the role of Leporello in his first performance with the company. Sopranos Caitlin Lynch and Sarah-Jane Brandon (Feb. 23), who both sang in Palm Beach Opera’s Le nozze di Figaro earlier this year, will sing the shared role of Donna Anna.
Danielle Pastin, a soprano who has been praised by Opera News for her “lovely demeanor and irresistibly creamy timbre,” and Felicia Moore (Feb. 23) will sing the role of Donna Elvira. Former Benenson Young Artist Danielle MacMillan, who also appeared in Le nozze di Figaro, will perform as Zerlina. Tenor Bogdan Volkov, who won second prize in the 2016 Operalia competition, will sing the role of Don Ottavio in a debut performance. South Florida resident and baritone Neil Nelson, who continues to headline the company’s new Summer Opera Nights series, will return to sing on the mainstage as Masetto. Bass Mikhail Koleishvili will perform as Commendatore and Marcus Dillard will design the lighting for Don Giovanni, marking his Palm Beach Opera debut.
Johann Strauss II’s Die Fledermaus – March 22-24
Palm Beach Opera’s 2018-2019 season will close with Johann Strauss II’s Die Fledermaus, a comedic series of mischief, intrigue, and revenge set at a lavish Viennese ball on New Year’s Eve. Palm Beach Opera Chief Conductor Maestro David Stern will also conduct this high-spirited comedy, and Artistic Director of Opera at Manhattan School of Music Dona D. Vaughn will serve as the Director. Keri Alkema, who captivated audiences in Palm Beach Opera’s recent production of Tosca, returns for another season with the company in role of Rosalinde. In addition to her upcoming appearance in the company’s A night of… Rising Stars & Classic Melodies concert, mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe will return to sing the role of Orlofsky. Soprano Anna Christy, who has been celebrated by The New York Times as “nimble of voice, body and spirit,” will make her company debut in the role of Adele. Another company debut, tenor Zachary Borichevsky will perform as Eisensetin, a role the artist has performed at Cincinnati Opera. 2018 Richard Tucker Career Grant Winner Jack Swanson will debut as Alfred, and Tobias Greenhalgh, a former Palm Beach Opera Benenson Young Artist, will sing the role of Dr. Falke.
The company’s annual Children’s Performance will be a one-hour abridged version of Die Fledermaus (The Revenge of the Bat) for children and families, starring members of the Benenson Young Artist and Apprentice Artist programs and conducted by Associate Conductor and Chorus Master Greg Ritchey.
“The 2018-2019 season presents a delightful mix of classic favorites and an intoxicating comedy that will appeal to broad audiences,” said General Director Daniel Biaggi. “We are thrilled to showcase so many internationally-celebrated performers in such magnetic productions. As our subscriber family continues to grow, and as our expanding programs and community engagement efforts continue to reach new audiences, we are anticipating another extraordinary and successful season.”
How to Get Tickets to Palm Beach Opera’s 2018-2019 Season:
Subscriptions are available for purchase now on the Palm Beach Opera website at www.pbopera.org. As an additional benefit, subscribers have early access to single tickets before they are available to the public for purchase on Sept. 5. To be notified as soon as single tickets are available for purchase, sign up at www.pbopera.org/notifyme. For questions about tickets, or to make a purchase over the phone, contact the Palm Beach Opera box office at 561-833-7888.
About Palm Beach Opera:
Palm Beach Opera is dedicated to producing live opera at an international standard of excellence and to enriching the life of the communities it serves with a diverse offering of educational programs. Founded in 1961, the fully professional Palm Beach Opera presents main stage performances at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach and is a proud member of OPERA America and the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County. For more information, please visit pbopera.org.