Boston Modern Orchestra Project and Odyssey Opera Present THE CHRONICLE OF NINE: THE TRAGEDY OF LADY JANE

Leading the vanguard of Boston's classical music scene, the Boston Modern Orchestra Project (BMOP) and Odyssey Opera present the world premiere of The Chronicle of Nine: The Tragedy of Lady Jane by the late American composer Arnold Rosner (1945-2013). A semi-staged, English-language production led by conductor Gil Rose,The Chronicle of Nine unites Odyssey Opera (one of the nation's most innovative opera companies), BMOP (the nation's premier orchestra dedicated exclusively to commissioning, performing, and recording new orchestral music), and internationally renowned singers including soprano Megan Pachecano playing the lead role of Lady Jane Grey. This marks the third of six productions of Odyssey Opera's season-long exploration of operatic works inspired by the great English dynasty of the 16th century:the Tudors.

Rosner died in 2013 leaving over 100 published works, many were never performed during his lifetime, and some have not been heard by any audience.The Chronicle of Nine was written in 1984, later recorded on Albany Records in 2012, and yet never performed."Rosner's music has enjoyed limited reception. His music is simply too good to ignore,"says Gil Rose, Odyssey Opera's Artistic Director and Conductor of both Odyssey Opera and BMOP. "This concert marks the first time anyone will experience Rosner's only full opera live! BMOP and Odyssey Opera are honored to be playing a small role in keeping Rosner's music and spirit alive. His music's time has come!"

With a libretto by Florence Stevenson, The Chronicle of Nine concerns the character of Lady Jane Grey (1537-1554), Henry VIII's great-granddaughter whose marriage and ascendancy were arranged in spite of her. Her nine-day reign ended with one of English history's most notorious beheadings when the forces of Mary Tudor overthrew and ultimately condemned her.According to Rosner, The Chronicle of Nine was the original name of Ms. Stevenson's stage play, and she meant it to refer to the number of days of Jane's reign. "But in the opera the title refers not only to that but to the number of active singing roles and the number of scenes in which there is vocal action."

Playing the lead role of Lady Jane Grey is soprano Megan Pachecano, who made her Odyssey Opera company debut as Anne Page in Sir John in Love. The Chronicle of Nine "deserves to be shared, and I can think of no better company to do its premiere justice than Odyssey Opera," says Pachecano."Odyssey Opera has been doing an incredible service to our industry in bringing never- or rarely-performed works to light in a high level of performance... I'm honored to have the opportunity to work with them again... These are the kinds of projects artists live for!"

Other artists making their Odyssey Opera return are: baritone James Demler (Earl of Arundel) who most recently performed in Giovanni Pacini's Maria, Regina d'Inghilterra; baritone Aaron Engebreth (John Dudley) who last performed with Odyssey in Gilbert & Sullivan's Patience; or, Bunthorne's Bride; bass David Salsbery Fry(Earl of Pembroke) who most recently performed in Gounod's La Reine de Saba; tenor William Hite (Henry Grey) who made his company debut in the role of Massimo in Christoph Willibald Gluck's Ezio; mezzo soprano Krista River (Lady Dudley) who made her company debut as Mrs. Fox in Tobia Picker's The Fantastic Mr. Fox; and contralto Stephanie Kacoyanis (Lady Mary) who first performed with the company in Lennox Berkeley's Four Poems of St. Teresa of Avila.

Odyssey Opera's 2019-20Tudor-centric season opened with the concert performance of Camille Saint-Saëns's Henry VIII (September 21, 2019) followed by Giovanni Pacini's Maria, Regina d'Inghilterra (November 1 and 3, 2019). This spring, Odyssey presents a fully-staged production of Elisabetta, Regina d'Inghilterra (1815) by Gioachino Rossini (March 13 and 15, 2020). The season ends with two operas from the 20th century: Gloriana (1953) by Benjamin Britten (April 11, 2020) and Merrie England (1902) by Edward German (June 5 and 7, 2020).

Founded in 2013 by artistic director/conductor Gil Rose, Odyssey Opera presents adventurous and eclectic works that affirm opera as a powerful expression of the human experience. Its world-class artists perform the operatic repertoire from its historic beginnings through lesser-known masterpieces to contemporary new works and commissions in varied formats and venues. Odyssey Opera sets standards of high musical and theatrical excellence and innovative programming to advance the operatic genre beyond the familiar and into undiscovered territory. Odyssey Opera takes its audience on a journey to places they've never been before. odysseyopera.org

The Boston Modern Orchestra Project (BMOP) is the premier orchestra in the United States dedicated exclusively to commissioning, performing, and recording music of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. A unique institution of crucial artistic importance to today's musical world, BMOP exists to disseminate exceptional orchestral music of the present and recent past via performances and recordings of the highest caliber. Founded by Artistic Director Gil Rose in 1996, BMOP has championed composers whose careers span nine decades.

Each season, Rose brings BMOP's award-winning orchestra, renowned soloists, and influential composers to the stage of New England Conservatory's historic Jordan Hall in a series that offers orchestral programming of unmatched diversity. Named Musical America's 2016 Ensemble of the Year, the musicians of BMOP are consistently lauded for the energy, imagination, and passion with which they infuse the music of the present era. Launched in 2019, BMOP's digital radio station, BMOP/radio, streams BMOP/sound's entire catalog and airs special programming. For more information, please visit BMOP.org.

Arnold Rosner: The Chronicle of Nine

Lady Jane Grey:

Megan Pachecano (soprano)

Earl of Arundel:

James Demler (baritone)

Earl of Pembroke:

David Salsbery Fry (bass)

John Dudley:

Aaron Engebreth (baritone)

Lady Dudley:

Krista River (mezzo-soprano)

Guilford Dudley:

Eric Carey (tenor)

Henry Grey:

William Hite (tenor)

Frances Grey:

Rebecca Krouner (mezzo-soprano)

Lady Mary:

Stephanie Kacoyanis (contralto)

A Minstrel:

Gene Stenger (tenor)

Conductor:

Gil Rose

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