Glimmerglass Opera Moves Ahead As Planned With 2009 Festival Season, Opens 7/18

Glimmerglass Opera's 2009 summer Festival Season features Verdi's La Traviata; Rossini's retelling of the Cinderella story, La Cenerentola; Menotti's The Consul and dramatized concert performances of Purcell's Dido and Aeneas, which will run in repertory in July and August in The company's Alice Busch Opera Theater.

"We are feeling the effects of the economy - like most arts organizations," said Glimmerglass Opera General & Artistic Director Michael MacLeod. "Glimmerglass Opera has always been very conscience of the bottom line. We hear of companies cutting costs by scheduling rehearsals more efficiently, using less-expensive materials - Glimmerglass Opera has already been doing this," MacLeod said.

In order to combat the current economic trends, Glimmerglass Opera initiatEd Salary reductions for its year-round staff members, and company members are travelling less for business. "Glimmerglass is a huge proponent of staff professional development, and we have had to cut back on these opportunities. However, the artistic integrity of our 2009 season will remain intact, and we will present four great operas this summer," MacLeod said.

Verdi's La Traviata, a co-production with Vancouver Opera, opens and closes the season, running from July 18 through August 25. The work returns to the Glimmerglass Opera stage with a new production directed by Jonathan Miller, who first directed La Traviata for Glimmerglass Opera 20 years ago. The production will feature soprano Mary Dunleavy in her company debut as Violetta. Tenor Ryan MacPherson, who performed as Luzio in Glimmerglass's 2008 production of Das Liebesverbot, returns as Alfredo Germont, and baritone Malcolm MacKenzie, an alumnus of The company's Young American Artists Program, sings Giorgio Germont. Mikhail Agrest conducts in his company debut. Isabella Bywater designs sets and costumes and Robert Wierzel designs lighting.

Rossini's La Cenerentola will run July 19 through August 23 in a new production directed by Kevin Newbury. La Cenerentola will feature mezzo-soprano Julie Boulianne in her company debut as Angelina, tenor John Tessier as Don Ramiro and baritone Keith Phares in his company debut as Dandini. Eduardo Chama, last seen in 2006 as Bartolo in Glimmerglass's The Barber of Seville, sings Don Magnifico. La Cenerentola features set design by Cameron Anderson, costume design by Jessica Jahn and lighting by D.M. Wood. Conductor Joseph Colaneri makes his company debut. La Cenerentola is new to the Alice Busch Opera Theater, having last been performed by Glimmerglass in the Cooperstown High School in 1986.

Menotti's musical drama, The Consul, will be conducted by Glimmerglass Opera's new Music Director, David Angus. Directed by Sam Helfrich, whose work with Glimmerglass Opera was most recently seen during The company's 2007 production of Philip Glass's Orphée, The Consul will run July 25 through August 24. Soprano Melissa Citro and baritone Michael Chioldi make company debuts as Magda and John Sorel. Mezzo-soprano Joyce Castle returns to Glimmerglass Opera as The Mother, mezzo-soprano Leah Wool makes her company debut as The Secretary and tenor John Easterlin makes his company debut as The Magician. Menotti's The Consul won the 1950 Pulitzer Prize in Music and New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Musical.

Purcell's Dido and Aeneas will be presented in concert performances dramatized by director Jonathan Miller on August 2, 9, 16 and 23 at 11:30 a.m. The concert performances will feature mezzo-soprano Tamara Mumford in her company debut as Dido and baritone David Adam Moore in his company debut as Aeneas. Soprano Joélle Harvey appears in her guest artist debut as Belinda. A 2007 Glimmerglass Opera Young American Artist, Harvey returns to Glimmerglass after her performance as Cupid in Glimmerglass Opera's 2007 production of Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld. Michael Beattie conducts.

For tickets and more information on Glimmerglass Opera's 2009 Festival Season, call the Glimmerglass Opera Box Office at (607) 547-2255 or visit www.glimmerglass.org. The Alice Busch Opera Theater, home of Glimmerglass Opera, is located on Route 80, eight miles north of Cooperstown, New York.