Young Artists of America, Inc. (YAA), founded in 2011 by operatic tenor Rolando Sanz and Maryland Classic Youth Orchestras Music Director Kristofer Sanz, announced today its first performance of the 2013-2014 season, a gala concert version of Jerome Kern's seminal musical, Show Boat, on Sunday, November 17, 2013 at the Bethesda Blues and Jazz Supper Club.
High school age students from Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Virginia are picked from auditions and trained by professional artists and educators for this unique opportunity to perform fully orchestrated works in concert. With a robust orchestra of 40 and a cast of 41 singers from 30 different area schools, this version of Show Boat will showcase lush orchestrations that highlight the operatic elements this musical's classics, such as "Make Believe," "Ol' Man River" and "You Are Love." Mentor musicians will help guide the orchestra, including violinist Jody Gatwood, a professor at Catholic University and concertmaster emeritus of the National Philharmonic, and cellist Michael Mermagen, a professor at Catholic University and faculty at Aspen Music Festival.
All funds raised during the gala will be directed towards tuition subsidies to give all students, regardless of their financial situation, the ability to participate in these programs throughout the year. Eliot Pfanstiehl, CEO of Strathmore, will act as the Master of Ceremonies for the evening.
"YAA is the first known program of its kind in the nation to bring together high school student instrumentalists and singers to collaborate on vocal-orchestral repertoire, and specifically opera. Over the past two seasons, we've performed fully orchestrated excerpts from over 20 musical theatre and opera scores. It's been so thrilling to build a program of this caliber right here in Montgomery County, MD where Kris and I grew up and where we continue to live and raise our families," said Rolando Sanz, artistic director of YAA.
Artistic Director Rolando Sanz, who has most recently appeared in leading roles locally with Washington Concert Opera, Lyric Opera Baltimore, Annapolis Opera, and the Cathedral Choral Society, is quickly gaining recognition for his "sensitive" and "luminous" portrayals of the romantic, lyric tenor repertoire. While he specializes in such roles as Rodolfo, Tamino, Nemorino, Alfredo, Pinkerton and the Duca di Mantua, Rolando has also appeared in many opera premieres including:
Peter Doyle in Miss Lonelyhearts and covering Stiva in
Anna Karenina. Most recently, he made his
Carnegie Hall debut singing the role of Kostik in the world premiere of Prokofiev's lost opera Dalëkie Morja (Distant Seas) for which Opera News reported "Rolando Sanz unfurled a warm, strong, highly promising tenor..." Other recent and upcoming leading appearances include Seattle Opera, Florentine Opera, Toledo Opera, Palm Beach Opera, Virginia Opera, and Aspen Music Festival. Rolando is a graduate of the Yale University School of Music.
Music Director Kristofer Sanz, currently the Music Director and Philharmonic conductor for the Maryland Classic Youth Orchestras at Strathmore, has quickly matured as a vibrant and talented conductor. Most recently, Kristofer was selected as one of the twelve nationwide conductors to participate in the Syracuse Opera Conducting Master Class and as one of nine to attend the International Academy of Advanced Conducting. He is also the Music Director/Conductor of Instrumental Music at
Winston Churchill High School in Potomac, MD, whose ensembles have consistently received superior ratings at the both the county and state level.
Young Artists of America, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization that was founded in Montgomery County, MD to provide aspiring and talented young musicians with exceptional opportunities to study, rehearse and perform with and be mentored by professional artists and educators in fully orchestrated performances including large scale works of opera, musical theatre, oratorio and dance. Over 200 students participate in the program each year.
SHOW BOAT IN CONCERT
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Rolando Sanz, artistic director
Kristofer Sanz, music director
5:00 p.m. Gala Cocktail Hour and Raffle
6:00 p.m. Seated 3-course Dinner
7:00 p.m. Doors open for Performance Only Guests
7:30 p.m. Show Boat in Concert
BETHESDA BLUES AND JAZZ SUPPER CLUB
7719 Wisconsin Avenue
Bethesda, MD 20814
Gala tickets: $125 (includes cocktail hour, seated dinner and performance)
Performance Only tickets: $25 adults, $20 students
www.youngartistsamerica.org(301) 272-8604
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