Merola Opera Program to Present TRANSFORMATIONS, Today

The Merola Opera Program presents Conrad Susa's Transformations, led by conductor Neal Goren and director Roy Rallo, in two performances Thursday, July 21 at 7:30 pm and Saturday, July 23 at 2 pm at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in San Francisco.

The cast of Transformations features Merola 2016 artists soprano Teresa Castillo as Princess/Gretel, soprano Shannon Jennings as Anne Sexton/Witch, mezzo-soprano Chelsey Geeting as Good Fairy/Witch, tenor Boris Van Druff as Rumpelstiltskin/Truman Capote, tenor Brian Michael Moore as Caged Man/Dog, tenor Isaac Frishman as Prince/Fox/Hansel, baritone Andrew G. Manea as Irons Hans/Wolf, and bass Matthew Anchel as King/Hare.

Transformations (1973), based on the late Anne Sexton's Pulitzer Prize winning book, is a highly personal telling of some of Grimms' fairy tales. More nearly short stories, the texts were arranged with Anne Sexton's approval to emphasize the subplot, which concerns a "middle-aged witch" who gradually becomes a vulnerable beauty slipping into a nightmare.

Conductor Neal Goren is the Founding Artistic Director of Gotham Chamber Opera, where he conducted 18 critically acclaimed productions such as Mozart's II sogno di Scipione, Purcell's Dido and Aeneas (with period instruments), and Britten's Albert Herring. Goren has conducted throughout the U.S. and in Europe while also serving as a frequent judge of vocal competitions throughout the U.S. As a recital accompanist, Goren has performed with Leontyne Price (as her exclusive musical collaborator), Kathleen Battle, Harolyn Blackwell, Haken Hagegard, Thomas Hampson, and many others. He has been a member of the faculty of the graduate opera department of the Mannes College of Music since 1992.

Returning director Roy Rallo has staged numerous productions for Merola, including Il barbiere di Siviglia in 2011 and the Schwabacher Summer Concerts in 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. He recently directed Il barbiere di Siviglia at San Francisco Opera. Known for his progressive style, Rallo's past work includes a new production of Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos for the Opéra National de Bordeaux and a new music-theater piece, the Methusalem Projekt, for the Nationaltheater und Staatskapelle Weimar. Marsha Ginsberg is the scenic designer, and Christine Cook is the costume designer for Transformations; Jax Messenger is the lighting designer and Marcelo Donari is the hair/wig and makeup designer.

Tickets may be purchased by calling the San Francisco Opera Box Office at (415) 864-3330 or by visiting www.sfopera.com. The box office is open Monday from 10 am to 5 pm, and Tuesday through Friday from 10 am to 6 pm.

ABOUT MEROLA OPERA PROGRAM

Led artistically by San Francisco Opera Center Director and internationally acclaimed soprano Sheri Greenawald, the Merola Opera Program is an independent nonprofit organization that operates in collaboration with San Francisco Opera. Founded in 1957 and named for San Francisco Opera's founder, Gaetano Merola, the program is recognized as one of the most prestigious operatic training programs in the world. The Merola Opera Program typically receives more than 800 applications for approximately 29 positions. Throughout the summer, the Merola artists participate in master classes and private coachings with opera's most accomplished singers and performers. Participants, which include singers, apprentice coaches, and an apprentice stage director, also receive training in operatic repertory, foreign languages, diction, acting, and stage movement. The Merola program artists appear in public performances throughout the summer. The Merola Opera Program Summer Festival includes two staged operas, a scenes program, and a concert.

Offered free of charge for all participants, the Merola Opera Program is unique in the industry in many ways. Merola is the only young artist program to provide financial support to developing artists for five years following participation. In the past year alone, more than $150,000 was distributed to more than 100 artists, supporting their essential career development costs including coachings, language classes, and audition travel. In addition, only Merola graduates are considered for participation in San Francisco Opera's Adler Fellowship program.

In 2016, the Merola Opera Program will have two returning Merola artists, Adelaide Boedecker, soprano (2014), and Tara Curtis, mezzo-soprano (2015).

Many Merola events are available only to members. Merola members enjoy the opportunity to sit in on select master classes and attend other special events with the young artists for a behind-the-scenes look at the training process. For information on how to join, visit http://merola.org/join. This season, Merola is proud to announce the return of the Merola ConneXion program, which provides up to 50 full memberships to Northern California junior high and high school students, plus college undergraduate and graduate students. Each membership includes passes to Merola's productions, master classes, and special events. Interested students can find the application on line by visiting www.merola.org.

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