Baltimore Concert Opera opens season with Rossini’s Tancredi
BALTIMORE, Maryland – Baltimore Concert Opera is thrilled to present Rossini’s Tancredi which will open the concert opera company’s eighth season at the Engineers Club in Mt. Vernon, Baltimore City. Tancredi will be followed by Verdi’s Rigoletto, Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah, and Rossini’s Semiramide, completing the season.
“This season truly highlights Baltimore Concert Opera’s mission: to offer both operatic favorites and rarely-performed repertoire to Baltimore audiences. We are bookending our season with Rossini operas as a celebration of the 225th anniversary of Gioachino Rossini’s birth” shares Julia Cooke, Executive Director. The up-close and personal concert opera format will give the listeners a chance to concentrate on the masterful and effervescent music of Rossini’s Tancredi, which was based on Voltaire’s 1760 play, Tancrède. Set on the island of Sicily in the year 1000 AD, Tancredi is the story of a heroic nobleman’s daughter Amenaide who is caught in the middle of the politics of the men surrounding her. Her father Argirio, his sworn local enemy Orbazzano, and a foreign Saracen invader all use her as a pawn in their machinations. Her refusal to betray her secret love for the young knight, Tancredi, leads to her imprisonment and a possibly tragic ending for the lovers.
Tancredi is a co-production with Opera Southwest and will be conducted by their artistic director, Anthony Barrese. This collaboration gives Baltimore access to the especially fine singers in this cast. The role of Tancredi, which was a favorite of Marilyn Horne, will be sung by dramatic mezzo-soprano Heather Johnson (The Metropolitan Opera, Boston Lyric, Dallas Opera) with Lindsay Ohse (Sante Fe Opera, Portland Opera, Opera Southwest) as Amenaide, Heath Huberg (Merola, Sarasota Opera) as Argirio and Matt Curran (Opera Southwest, Opera Delaware) as Orbazzano. Madelyn Wanner as Isaura and Alexandra Rodrick as Roggiero round out the ensemble. The all-professional Baltimore Concert Opera chorus, led by James Harp, will join them. Michael Dauphinais will provide expert piano accompaniment.
Performances will be given in the Grand Ballroom of the Engineers Club on Friday, Sept. 30th at 7:30pm and Sunday, Oct. 2nd at 3pm. Single tickets ($27.50 – $71.50) and discounted season subscriptions are available. Pre-opera dining reservations at the Engineers Club can be reserved through our office or website by any Baltimore Concert Opera patron. Please visit www.BaltimoreConcertOpera.com or call 443-445-0226 for tickets and more information.
About Baltimore Concert Opera:
Founded in 2009, BCO presents concerts of complete operatic masterpieces with singers and piano in the intimate setting of a gilded 19th-century historic ballroom. This experience allows the audience to focus on the artistry of the music and beauty of the human voice. Baltimore Concert Opera is devoted to bringing classic and rarely-performed works to Baltimore, and reaching out to both new audiences and opera aficionados through a range of events including our popular “Thirsty Thursdays at the Opera” tasting series. For more information, to make a tax-deductible donation, or to volunteer, please visit www.baltimoreconcertopera.com. BCO is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. We are deeply grateful for the continuing support of the William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund (www.BakerArtist.org), creator of the Baker Artist Portfolio.
Contact:
Courtney Kalbacker
Managing Director
Baltimore Concert Opera
11 West Mount Vernon Place, Baltimore, MD 21201
office: 443-445-0226
courtney@ baltimoreconcertopera.com
www.BaltimoreConcertOpera.com