Adelphi Orchestra to Present WAGNER MASTERWORKS This Sunday at the DiMenna Center

The Adelphi Orchestra presents "Wagner Masterworks: Tristan und Isolde: Prelude and Liebestod and Die Walkure : Act 1" on Sunday May 15 at 7:30 PM at the DiMenna Center for Classical Music in New York City in collaboration with the Wagner Society of New York.

"Wagner Masterworks" will showcase concert performances from some of opera's most hauntingly romantic stories, Tristan und Isolde and Die Walkure. The Adelphi Orchestra will perform with guest soloists Karen Foster, Soprano, Erik Nelson Werner, Tenor and Steven Fredericks, Bass under the direction of Adelphi Orchestra' s Principal Conductor Richard Owen.

The music composed for both Tristan und Isolde and Die Walkure, which Wagner wrote between 1854 and 1859, transformed classical music by introducing an unprecedented use of chromaticism, tonality, orchestral color and harmonic suspension . Wagner's music had a profound impact on both symphonic and operatic composers alike, notably Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss, Karol Szymanowski, Alban Berg, Arnold Schoenberg and Benjamin Britten. Each of Wagner's compositions featured in the concert explore dramas of forbidden love.

The Adelphi Orchestra performance of Wagner Masterworks features a trio of world acclaimed singers, steeped in the Wagnerian tradition, who bring Wagner's characters to life on stage. Karen Foster, who sings the role of Sieglinde and Isolde in this concert, was praised as "an elegant dramatic soprano" in her debut as Isolde with Den Norske Opera. In 2016 Ms. Foster will sing the role in concert with the Winnipeg Symphony. In 2014- 16 she sang Gerhilde in Die Walküre (Bayerische Staatsoper), and will again in 2018. Ms. Foster has sung with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Deutsche Oper am Rhein, Arizona Opera, Westfield Symphony, and the WDR Sinfonieorchestern (Cologne). Her awards include a grant from the Wagner Society of New York.

Erik Nelson Werner, tenor who sings the role of Wagner's hero Siegmund in this concert, was acclaimed for his role debut as Parsifal with the Badische State Opera (Karlsruhe). He sang Siegmund under Zubin Mehta (Florence) and in concert with Opera North (UK), Schönberg's "Gurrelieder" (Braunschweig and Berlin), and Britten's "War Requiem" (Salzburg). Other performances include Strauss' Intermezzo (NYC Opera), Siegmund (Virginia Opera), Weinberg's The Portrait (Nancy, France), Pique Dame (Houston Grand Opera), Janá?ek's Šárka (New York), and Shostakovich's Lady Macbeth (Linz, Austria).

Bass Steven Fredericks who sings the pivotal role of Hunding in this concert, is admired for his "robust" singing with "great emotional depth," and recently sang Dr. Bartolo in Le Nozze di Figaro (Salt Marsh Opera), the title role in Wagner's Der fliegender Holländer and in Boïto's Mefistofele (Taconic Opera), and Tod in Ullman's Der Kaiser von Atlantis (CT Lyric Opera). He sang Sparafucile in Rigoletto (Chuvash State Theatre, Russia), Bartolo in Le Nozze di Figaro (Greve Festival-Italy) and the Herald in Lohengrin (Paris/Saone-et-Loire ).

Richard Owen is a noted conductor, pianist, and organist. Of his conducting debut in Austria, The Wiener Zeitung wrote: "Maestro Owen must be a genius...how flowing and musical this young American was able to realize the music from the podium." He has conducted several European orchestras and was a cover conductor of the NY Philharmonic under Kurt Masur. Currently he is Music Director of Camerata New York Orchestra, principal conductor of the Adelphi Orchestra, and organist and director of music at St. Jean Baptiste Church in NYC. He recently made conducting debuts at the Little Opera Theater of New York, Rioult Dance, and Center for Contemporary Opera, and Montreal Symphony ("Carmina Burana"). This season he has also conducted "The Nutcracker" (Donetsk Ballet), and "Christ on the Mount of Olives" (St. Patrick's Cathedral).

The Adelphi Orchestra is a professional, non-profit orchestra offering symphonic, chamber, operatic, dance as well as a Young Artist Competition and concerts throughout New Jersey and the New York metropolitan area. The Adelphi Orchestra presents concerts with accomplished national and international guest soloists and distinguished conductors. Nominated by its peers for the 2016 Jersey Arts People's Choice Award in the Favorite Orchestra/Symphony Division, the Adelphi Orchestra is a member of the League of Orchestras. It is northern New Jersey's longest continuously performing orchestra and a member of the New Jersey cultural community for 62 years. The mission of the Adelphi Orchestra is to serve the musical and educational needs of the citizens of New Jersey, with special emphasis given to families with young children, seniors and those with limited financial means. To further this end, numerous concerts are offered free of admission charges. The Adelphi Orchestra strives to advance the orchestral arts through education, commissions, community partnerships and its robust young artist programing. Within the orchestra, the company fosters a challenging and enjoyable environment where artistic excellence can flourish. Richard Owen serves as the Principal Conductor and Jason Tramm is the Artistic Advisor of the orchestra. To learn more about the orchestra and its programs visit www.adelphiorchestra.org.

IF YOU GO:

Wagner Masterworks: Die Walkure & Tristan

Co-sponsored by the Wagner Society of New York

May 15, 2016 7:30 PM

DiMenna Center for Classical Music, 450 W 37th St, New York, NY 10018

Admission $25; Reserved Seating and Reception $35

Purchase tickets: www.eventbrite.com/e/wagner-masterworks-die-walkure-tristan-tickets-20880564330

Get a preview of the performance with footage from last weekend's concert!