Riverside Opera Company Announces Free Performances at NYPL

The Riverside Opera Company, under the direction of Maestro Alan Aurelia perform Opera @ NYPL features showcases audition winners from the tri-state area. Singers will performing their favorite arias. The performers are Tenor Brett Pardue, Soprano-Mezz Iris Prcic and pianist Corey Everly.

The performance is free and open to the public as part Opera @NYPL on Saturday, June 17, 3:30 p.m. at the Richmond Town branch of the New York Public Library located at 200 Clarke Avenue, Staten Island. For information, call (718) 876-7945 or visit www.facebook.com/riversideoperacompany.

The Riverside Opera Company is based on Staten Island in New York City. It performs fully and semi-staged productions with full orchestra conducted by Maestro Alan Aurelia, who has conducted in Italy as well as in the U.S. Its singers are winners of open public auditions, held in New York City.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Brett Pardue, tenor, has been praised by Opera Lively as "a name to be followed," and by D.C. Metro Theater Arts for having "matinee-idol looks, personality, and [singing equally] attractively." Appointed to the voice faculty at Lehigh University in 2016, Pardue has appeared with Cincinnati, New York Lyric (solo debut at Carnegie Hall), Asheville Lyric, Riverside, and Capitol City Opera companies, as well as soloist for the Spoleto Festival, NJ Sinfonietta Nova, and Westminster Choir College (CoOPERAtive). Upcoming engagements: Richmond Symphony Orchestra, Young Jim Thompson (Glory Denied) Tri-Cities Opera and Opera Upper West, Freddy Fairfax (the Dollar Princess) with the Concert Operetta Theater at AVA, and Ash Lawn (Charlottesville) Opera.

Iris Prcic, soprano-mezzo made her debut with The Riverside Opera Company in March of 2017. Since then, she has sung in several concerts with the company including their annual PoPera 2017 concert with the Richmond County Orchestra under maestro, Alan Aurelia. She recently sang the role of Donna Elvira with the New York Lyric Opera Theater. Meche Kroop from Voce di Meche said this about Ms. Prcic's performance of Donna Elvira: "There is a steely core to her tone that made her just right for the role. The difficult "Mi tradi" with its wide skips was well handled." She previously sang with the company for a gala concert in November of 2015 at Weil Hall. Ms. Prcic regularly performs with Le voci internazionali, a New Jersey based performance group under musical director, Patrizia Cioffi, and with The Opera Project in New Jersey where she performs in monthly concerts under director Walt MacNicoll. Ms. Prcic is known for her rich eastern European color. She is of Serbian and Bosnian heritage.

Corey Everly is a collaborative pianist, coach, and conductor. He holds a Master's Degree from Westminster Choir College in Piano Accompanying and Coaching where he studied with Dr. J.J. Penna. He has previously been accompanist for the GRAMMY-nominated Westminster Williamson Voices, Westminster Scholar Cantorum and is currently the Assistant Artistic Director and accompanist for The Same Stream choir (James Jordan, conductor). He has conducted over 30 musical theatre/opera productions spanning a wide range of styles. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Voice Performance from Westminster Choir College where he studied with Faith Esham and maintains a private piano and voice studio in Philadelphia. He is on the theatre faculty of Rowan University and the piano and voice faculty at Cornerstone Music Studios in Millstone, NJ.

YOUTH PERFORMERS:

Isabel Brushi on the violin playing Toreador Song from Carmen by Bizet.

Isabel Bruschi is a 17 year old violinist at Port Richmond High School and attended La Guardia High School until recently. She has been performing for 13 years and studies under Roman Berlinsky. She has performed at venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Juilliard School of Music, La Guardia High School, Symphony Space and College of Staten Island. In 2014 she attended New York Summer Music Festival on Full Scholarship and in 2015 she attendEd French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts also with a scholarship. She has performed with the New York Pops at their Galas on two occasions and most recently, she has played in Interschool Orchestra and CSI- Curtis ensamble as concertmistress. She aspires to double Major in both Performing Arts and Political Science.

Brian Moses on the piano playing Musettas' Waltz from La Boheme by Puccini.

Brian Moses is an advanced classical piano student currently attending Stuyvesant High School. Brian has played at school, church, and RCO events many times and is a second place winner in RCO's Talent Search competition in 2016. He has studied with Maestro Aurelia since he was five years old.

Kristian Marino on trumpet playing Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana by Mascagni.

Kristian Marino, a sophomore at Staten Island Technical High School, began playing the trumpet in third grade-when he first had the honor and privilege of learning under mentor Maestro Alan Aurelia. As a student of the city's Borowide Band Program, he was chosen to perform a solo at Carnegie Hall. He went on to perform there on two other occasions- once as a selected student playing alongside The New York Pops.

At his high school, Kristian plays in the chamber brass ensemble, jazz ensemble, wind ensemble and marching band. He is a member of the Staten Island Community Band and plays with the Wagner College Band class. This past summer, he attended the Summer Arts Institute at the Frank Sinatra school with a culminating performance attended by Tony Bennett.

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