Atlanta Opera Closes Sesason With THE SECRET GARDENER

The Atlanta Opera closes its 2016-17 season with an outdoor production of Mozart's early opera The Secret Gardener (La Finta Giardiniera), a story of love, madness and redemption that plays out in a lush garden.

A co-production with On Site Opera and through the generous support of the Molly Blank Fund of the Arthur M. Blank Foundation, the Atlanta Opera presents three performances of Mozart's The Secret Gardener on May 19 and 20, 2017 at the new Robinson Gazebo located in the Skyline Garden at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Ticketed seats for this production are currently sold-out. Atlanta Botanical Garden visitors are invited to watch and listen from anywhere in the Skyline Garden.

The Secret Gardener is a co-production between The Atlanta Opera and New York's On Site Opera. This immersive production will be accompanied by wind octet and double bass, a traditional ensemble for 18th-century outdoor performances. Orchestration is by Yoni Khan and Thomas Carroll. An exciting new English translation by Kelly Rourke evokes garden and floral imagery to anchor the story even more into the space.

"The Discoveries series provides a one-of-a-kind experience with the opera," said Tomer Zvulun, General and Artistic Director of The Atlanta Opera. "The Secret Gardener marks our fifth Discoveries production and continues our spirit of collaboration and innovation. Expect the unexpected."

The production is the first major event of its kind in the new Skyline Garden and Robinson Gazebo, which overlook Piedmont Park. This gazebo will envelop the audience in the space with spectacular views of the Atlanta skyline.

General and Artistic Director of On Site Opera and creator of this production, Eric Einhorn, will direct. A co-founder of On Site Opera, Einhorn has directed productions for many of the nation's best known opera houses including Lyric Opera of Chicago, Glimmerglass Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, Fort Worth Opera, and Wolf Trap Opera. He has been a member of the stage directing staff at the Metropolitan Opera since 2005.

Maestro Geoffrey McDonald, Music Director of On Site Opera, will conduct. McDonald's versatility along with his sense of fresh and musical imagination brings a seamless coordination between orchestra and singers.

Soprano Ashley Kerr, known for her elegant and captivating tone, will sing Sandrina. She has performed with the Virginia Opera, Salt Marsh Opera, New Jersey Festival Orchestra, Caramoor Music Festival, the Center for Contemporary Opera, Fort Worth Opera Festival, and Lake George Opera.

Baritone Jorell Williams will sing Nardo. Williams has been hailed by Opera News as having "a solid vocal core and easy, natural production" and the New York Times for being "magnificent" and "rich toned", as well as having "perfect" comedic timing. He is the 2015 1st-prize winner of the American Prize competition and was awarded the 2nd-prize Silver Medal in the 2014 American Traditions Competition. Engagements for the 2016-2017 season include his company debut as Hannah-Before in Laura Kaminsky's critically acclaimed As One with Seattle Opera, the New Opera Showcase with Opera America, and Vernon Addams in the Mid-West premiere of Hilliard and Boresi's Blue Viola with Lyric Opera of the North.

The role of Serpetta will be sung by Alisa Jordheim. Jordheim has sung the roles of Lucia in The Rape of Lucretia, Barbarina in Le nozze di Figaro, Lulu Baines in Elmer Gantry, Frasquita in Carmen, Soeur Constance in Dialogues des Carmélites, and Marzelline in Fidelio.

THE SECRET GARDENER

By Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto by Raniero de Calzbigi

CREATIVE TEAM

Conductor

Stage Director

Costume Designer

Translator

Orchestration

CAST

Geoffrey McDonald *

Eric Einhorn*

Beth Goldenberg*

Kelley Rourke*

Yoni Khan* and Thomas Carroll*

Sandrina

Serpetta

Arminda

Ramiro

Belfiore

Podestà

Nardo

Ashley Kerr*

Alisa Jordheim*

Maeve Höglund*

Kristin Gornstein*

Spencer Viator*

Jonathan Blalock*

Jorell Williams*

*Atlanta Opera Debut

About The Atlanta Opera

The Atlanta Opera is one of the finest regional opera companies in the nation. In 2013, the company recruited internationally recognized stage director Tomer Zvulun as its General and Artistic Director. In the 2014-2015 season, the company launched the acclaimed Discoveries series of operas staged in alternative theaters around Atlanta. The series was recognized by the Atlanta Journal Constitution as part of its Best of 2015 awards and the company was nominated for the International Opera Awards in London in 2016. In the 2016-2017 season, the company expanded its main stage season from three to four productions at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre while ushering the Discoveries series into its 3rd season for a total of six productions. The Opera works with world-renowned singers, conductors, directors, and designers who seek to enhance the art form and make it accessible for a sophisticated, 21st century audience. The Atlanta Opera was founded in 1979, and to this day adheres to its mission to enrich lives through opera.

About The Discoveries Series

The Atlanta Opera Discoveries series is dedicated to audience members who are seeking new works, new ideas and fresh perspectives. As part of The Atlanta Opera's efforts to bring opera to new audiences all over the Atlanta metro area, these productions will be performed in exciting alternative venues. Foundation support for The Discoveries series comes from The Molly Blank Fund of the Arthur M. Blank Foundation.

About On Site Opera

Over the course of five short seasons, On Site Opera (OSO) has established itself as one of New York City's most imaginative, cutting edge opera companies. As The New York Times wrote: "On Site Opera presents the ultimate in intimate productions by performing works in spaces that fit the setting of the story." OSO's immersive, site-specific performances have taken place in venues ranging from the the Bronx Zoo to the Cotton Club to Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, pushing the boundaries of what opera can do and be and blurring the lines between performer and audience to create a uniquely powerful musical experience.

Founded in 2012, OSO's team of General & Artistic Director, Eric Einhorn and Music Director, Geoffrey McDonald are dedicated to producing site-specific opera in nontraditional venues throughout New York. Dubbed "So much more than Sleep No More" by The New York Observer, OSO molds its productions to specific locations using physical space to create an environment in which the concept, storytelling, music, and performers unite to form an immersive, cohesive, and meaningful whole. www.osopera.org

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