North Carolina Opera Announces its 2014-15 Season

North Carolina Opera's General Director Eric Mitchko and Artistic Director & Principal Conductor Timothy Myers today have announced the details for the company's 2014-15 season. The announcement by Maestro Myers last evening at the company's annual season festive kickoff event at CAM Raleigh included live musical highlights and attracted a large group of patrons and community partners.

North Carolina Opera's 2014-15 season includes fully-staged productions of Verdi's heartbreaking favorite La traviata (two performances, February 27 & March 1, 2015 at Memorial Auditorium in Raleigh) and Mozart's dark tragicomedy Don Giovanni (five performances, April 18-26, 2015 at the A.J. Fletcher Opera Theater in Raleigh); a concert performance of the Prelude and Act II from Wagner's monumental Tristan and Isolde (November 9, 2014 at Meymandi Concert Hall in Raleigh); and non-subscription special event performances of D.J. Sparr's new opera Approaching Ali (Winter 2015, dates and venue to be announced).

"For 2014-15, North Carolina Opera is producing a season that includes both popular operas from the standard repertory and other more rarely performed works. La traviata and Don Giovanni are audience favorites, but have not been performed here for many years. The season also includes two works new to our company: Wagner's Tristan and Isolde and D.J. Sparr's Approaching Ali," said NCO General Director Eric Mitchko.

NCO's Artistic Director & Principal Conductor Timothy Myers, who had major triumphs last season at NCO and other American opera companies, is particularly thrilled to conduct Tristan and Isolde. "Our concert version, which includes the opera's Prelude and complete Act II, delivers the dramatic essence of the story. Our powerful 80-member NCO Orchestra and acclaimed Wagnerian singers will fill Meymandi Concert Hall with the glorious sounds of one of the world's greatest operas. Nothing that came before Tristan had this level of orchestral color or kind of musical language, and it influenced absolutely everything that came after it," said Maestro Myers.

NORTH CAROLINA OPERA 2014-15 SEASON

Wagner

TRISTAN AND ISOLDE

Prelude and Act II in Concert

November 9, 2014 at 3 p.m.

Meymandi Concert Hall

Raleigh, NC

This concert performance of the Prelude and Act II of Wagner's transcendent opera finds Tristan and the Irish Princess Isolde in a blissful, potion-induced love. When Isolde's intended husband, King Marke, discovers the pair in a romantic tryst, a fight ensues and Tristan is mortally wounded. Soprano Heidi Melton, who thrilled NCO audiences last season as the Foreign Princess in Rusalka, is Isolde. Tenor Clifton Forbis is Tristan, a role that he has sung to worldwide acclaim. Elizabeth Bishop, who sang in NCO's concert performance of Die Walküre, is Isolde's handmaid, Brangäne, a role she has also sung at Washington National Opera. The powerful Welsh bass Richard Wiegold is King Marke. North Carolina Opera's Artistic Director & Principal Timothy Myers conducts Wagner's monumental score.

Verdi

LA TRAVIATA

February 27, 2015 at 8 p.m.

March 1, 2015 at 3 p.m.

Memorial Auditorium

Raleigh, NC

The 18th-Century Parisian courtesan Violetta Valéry has unexpectedly found true love in the arms of the handsome, young Alfredo. When Alfredo's father asks Violetta to end the affair for the sake of the family's honor, she reluctantly does so and thereby hastens her already doomed circumstances. Soprano Jacqueline Echols, who dazzled NCO audiences last season as Musetta in La bohème, returns to sing the role of Violetta Valéry. Korean baritone Joo Won Kang makes his NCO debut as Giorgio Germont, a role that he has sung at Florida Grand Opera. NCO's Artistic Director & Principal Conductor Timothy Myers conducts the NCO Orchestra in one of Verdi's best scores.

La traviata is generously underwritten by the production's sponsor Ross Lampe, SiteLink Software, LLC.

Mozart

DON GIOVANNI

April 18, 2015 at 8 p.m.

April 19, 2015 at 3 p.m.

April 22, 2015 at 7:30 p.m.

April 24, 2015 at 8 p.m.

April 26, 2015 at 3 p.m.

A.J. Fletcher Opera Theater

Raleigh, NC

He's handsome and sexy, but reckless and unrepentant. He's Don Giovanni, opera's ultimate bad boy. But, will he be able to charm his way out of the final judgment? The rising ensemble cast includes J.C. Cha (Don Giovanni), Jan Cornelius (Donna Anna), Hailey Clark (Donna Elvira), Jennfier Cherest (Zerlina), and David Blalock (Don Ottavio). NCO's Artistic Director & Principal Conductor Timothy Myers conducts the NCO Orchestra. Crystal Manich, who last season staged NCO's productions of La bohème and Rusalka, returns to direct this Mozart masterpiece.

Don Giovanni is generously underwritten by the production's sponsor C. Thomas Kunz.

D.J. Sparr

APPROACHING ALI

Winter 2015

Dates and Venue TBA

D.J. Sparr's Approaching Ali was a critical and popular hit when it premiered last year at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. Based on The Tao of Muhammad Ali, Davis Miller's autobiographical novel of his unlikely friendship with the boxing legend, this new work, with music by D.J. Sparr and libretto by Davis Miller and Pulitzer Prize winner Mark Campbell, will touch your heart and inspire your soul.

Dates, venue and casting details for Approaching Ali will be announced at a later date.

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Subscription tickets for North Carolina Opera's 2014-15 season are on sale now. Subscription packages range from $77 to $249 and include Tristan and Isolde, La traviata, and Don Giovanni. Non-subscription tickets, including tickets for Approaching Ali, go on sale Tuesday, September 2, 2014. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 919-792-3850 or visit www.NCOpera.org.

ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA OPERA

North Carolina Opera was formed in 2010 from the merger of the Opera Company of North Carolina and Capital Opera Raleigh. It is dedicated to presenting operatic performances at the highest level throughout the Triangle. We also have a robust education program that brings opera to schools across Wake County and surrounding counties. North Carolina Opera brings international level artists to Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill, and also engages the best in local Triangle talent. Information about North Carolina Opera's programs and events is available on our website www.ncopera.org or by phone at (919) 792-3850.

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