AZ Opera to Stage Workshop of THE COPPER QUEEN Next Month

In conjunction with Arizona Opera's new community-based artistic initiative, Arizona Bold, the company presents a short preview of a new operatic work in development, THE COPPER QUEEN on January 3 at 3:00 p.m. at the Arizona Opera Center in Phoenix.

THE COPPER QUEEN, being created by composer Clint Borzoni and librettist John de los Santos (stage director, The Daughter of the Regiment, 2015), focuses on the life and lore of a real woman in Arizona history, Julia Lowell, an escort who lived and worked at THE COPPER QUEEN Hotel in Bisbee, Arizona. She is alleged to haunt the hotel ever since her shocking suicide in the early part of the 20th century. Founded in 1880, Bisbee was once a mining stronghold for gold, silver and copper in Cochise County, Arizona, and has functioned as the County Seat since 1929. This new composition not only reimagines the struggles of Ms. Lowell, but it also illuminates an impressionistic view of life in this town which figures so centrally in Arizona history and lore.

"THE COPPER QUEEN is an operatic ghost story. While it contains some elements familiar to both genres, it is more than a sensational yarn about a haunted hotel. Julia Lowell was indeed a real woman who lived at THE COPPER QUEEN Hotel, and several guests who stay in her room today report encountering her presence. While the notion of a trapped spirit whispering in your ear may be chilling, the circumstances under which Julia forged her living prove even more horrifying. With virtually no escape from her predicament, she fought for the pursuit of a life she could only dream about," said composer Borzoni.

"The libretto also creates a fictional modern character named Addison Moore who stays in the room in the hopes of encountering Julia's restless specter," adds librettist de los Santos. "The opera's action alternates between 1910 when we observe Julia's final tumultuous days and 2010 when the energy of the haunted room becomes more aggressive towards Addison. When the ghost of Julia finally appears to Addison, a shocking secret is revealed that uncovers the heart-breaking bond between the two women."

THE COPPER QUEEN workshop is free to attend, but registration is required and limited to four (4) seats per order. Audiences should also know that the performance contains adult themes and suggestive dialogue, and discretion is advised. Tickets and more information are available at azopera.org/copperqueen or by calling Arizona Opera's box office at 602.266.7464 or 520.293.4336.

About Clint Borzoni - Composer Clint Borzoni has written over seventy pieces, including two full-length operas, two one-act operas, a piano concerto, percussion quartet, work for orchestra, two string quartets, several works for chamber orchestra and over forty art songs. Operatic works include Margot Alone in the Light, an adaptation of Ray Bradbury's story All Summer in a Day; and Antinous and Hadrian, commissioned and developed by operamission. A resident artist in the American Lyric Theater's Composer Librettist Development Program and the American Opera Projects Composer and the Voice Series, Mr. Borzoni has also been honored with the Morton Feldman Award, the Boston Metro Opera Festival Award, and was the winner of operamission's cabaret song competition.

About John de los Santos - Stage director and choreographer John de los Santos made his directorial debut with Arizona Opera with The Daughter of the Regiment in the spring of 2015. His work encompasses opera, theater, musicals, ballet, concerts, variety shows, and workshop readings. John's first opera libretto with composer Clint Borzoni, When Adonis Calls, was selected for inclusion in Fort Worth Opera's Frontiers showcase, and then performed in concert by operamission in New York City. He was also commissioned by Washington National Opera's American Opera Initiative to create an original work with composer Christopher Weiss. The resulting piece, Service Provider, premiered at The Kennedy Center earlier this year.

About Arizona Spark - THE COPPER QUEEN was commissioned by Arizona Spark, a club founded in 2014 by a group of enterprising patrons to encourage and support the development and proliferation of new operatic work that furthers the mission of Arizona Opera.

About Arizona Opera - Founded in 1971, Arizona Opera is our state's only professional opera company that produces fully-staged opera performances as well as in-school touring productions, and outreach programs to reach over 70,000 schoolchildren and adults annually. Since its inception, Arizona Opera has produced over 200 fully-staged operatic masterpieces and concerts including Richard Wagner's complete Ring Cycle; and in 2014 the company embarked on a new artistic initiative, Arizona Bold, which incorporates new repertoire into each season, works that celebrate the rich cultural fabric that makes up our diverse state.

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