dell'Arte Opera Ensemble Sets Summer Pre-Season Events

dell'Arte Opera Ensemble presents the company's August 2016 Season Pre-Season Events. Prepare to revel in a world of festivity, sensuality, and high drama in Paris's storied past with fun and engaging activities leading up to the company's season entitled Violetta & her Sisters. Tickets are $20 - 54 and include a discount code for our August festival performances! For more information visit: http://www.dellarteopera.org/season.php5?p=74.

Love for Sale:An Evening of Jazz
Wednesday, June 22, Sets at 7 and 9pm
Café Noctambulo at Pangea, 178 2nd Ave.
TICKETS: $20 cover/$20 food and drink minimum per set OR $30/30 for both

Join dell'Arte alum Nicole Zuraitis for two sets (7 p.m. & 9 p.m.) for a smooth and sultry nod to "working girls." Carmen Staaf, piano with special guest Kimberly Hawkey.

Shady Ladies of the Met Museum of Art
Friday, July 15 at The Met Museum
TICKETS: $49 (includes Met Museum admission). Maximum 20 attendees!
Please note: select July 15 and key in password 'Arte' for this private event

Professor Andrew Lear presents a special dell'Arte edition of his celebrated "Shady Ladies" museum tour.
You will never see them in quite the same light again!

Violetta and her Sisters: Season Preview
Tuesday, July 26 at 6pm, Cornelia Street Cafe, 29 Cornelia St.
TICKETS: $10 cover/$10 minimum.

Talented cast members perform excerpts from August festival programming, hosted by Lisa Flanagan.

The season continues with Violetta & her Sisters featuring Giuseppe Verdi's La traviata, Jules Massenet's Manon,a semi-staged Scenes from the demi-monde, with excerpts from Puccini's La Rondine and Leoncavallo's La bohème, and a recital featuring the poetry of Charles Baudelaire, with settings by Debussy, Fauré, Duparc, Vierne, d'Indy, Loeffler and others.

Violetta & her Sisters will be performed in The Rose Nagelberg Theater at the Baruch Performing Arts Center, with 14 performances from August 13-28, 2016. La traviata will be performed on August 13-14, 25, and 27 at 7:30pm, and August 20-21 at 2pm; Manon on August 20, 22, 24, 26 at 7:30pm and August 28 at 2pm; Scenes from the demi-monde on August 19 and 23 at 7:30pm and a very special recital Chansons de Baudelaire August 27 at 2pm.

"This season promises to be our very finest, as we institute a new Opera Leaders Mentorship Program, through which our young stage directors, stage managers, designers, conductors, and pianists will receive expert guidance 'on the job,'" said Chris Fecteau, artistic director of dell'Arte Opera Ensemble. "Our vocal artists will enjoy a larger orchestra and more generous coaching allotments than in previous years. We know our audiences will feel the difference."

Giuseppe Verdi's La traviata (libretto by Francesco Maria Paive)will be conducted by John Spencer IV and directed by Kyle Pfortmiller, featuring Bonnie Frauenthal, Margaret Newcomb, Jeremy Brauner, Jose Heredia, Jeremiah Johnson, Paul Khoury, Magda Gartner, Hillary Grobe, Natasha Nelson, Ileana Santamaria, Ting Li, Chris Lilley, Nobuki Momma, Kofi Hayford, and Nick Webb; Jules Massenet's Manon(libretto by Henri Meilhac and Philippe Gille) will be conducted by Chris Fecteau and directed by Victoria Crutchfield, featuring Olivia Betzen, Sean Christensen, Stan Lacy, Nick Webb, Ting Li, Nobuki Momma, Kristina Malinauskaite, Perri Sussman, Magda Gartner, and Kofi Hayford; Scenes from the demi-monde will be directed by Joule Voelz and Brittany Goodwin, and conducted by David Stech. Scenic design for the season by Courtney Nelson, costume design by Carly Bradt (Traviata) and Nina Bova (Manon), and lighting design by Mary Ellen Stebbins.

About dell'Arte Opera Ensemble

The gap between academic training and a flourishing career is wide, and few singers can bridge it without the kind of assistance that dell'Arte Opera Ensemble has been providing in New York City at no cost to singers for the past twelve years. The company's dual mission is to nurture emerging opera artists through rehearsal and performance opportunities, seminars, and master classes, and to attract new audiences by offering them high-quality opera presentations featuring exciting young artists at little-or no-cost. Our emphasis is on 'learning by doing,' backed by the philosophy that only superior craft creates great art. dell'Arte is committed to the essential building blocks of opera: great singing, great music, and great acting. Singers working with dell'Arte range from those who have just exited school to those pursuing regional careers and even to those performing on the roster of The Metropolitan Opera. Participating singers attend master classes, receive private coaching, enjoy the support of enthusiastic and talented colleagues, and collaborate with professional instrumentalists, culminating in a highly enriching performance experience. Audiences enjoy the fresh excitement of experiencing role debuts and witnessing important landmarks in each singer's artistic process. www.dellarteopera.org