CIM Announces New 2018-19 Opera Season With Celebrations And Debuts

The allure of magic and fantasy in books and films extends to the world of opera, as the Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM) announces its 2018-19 Opera Theater season. The season launches with two 20th-century one-act masterpieces in which human and non-human worlds meet in magical ways, continues with a groundbreaking masterpiece of the French Baroque, and concludes with its annual spring scenes program.

"The CIM Voice and Opera Faculty has long functioned collectively to select artistically enticing and educationally sound works for CIM Opera Theater's productions," noted Dean Southern, head of CIM's Voice and Opera Division. "This will be an exciting year for the CIM voice students, who will work with three different stage directors in the productions and a slate of guest instructors in opera workshop classes as we hold a national search for a new Director of Opera."

Magic abounds with the fall production, pairing Stravinsky's Le Rossignol (The Nightingale, 1914) with Ravel's L'Enfant et les Sortlièges (The Child and the Spells, 1925). Dean Southern directs, and Music Director and CIM Opera Theater Conductor Harry Davidson leads the CIM Orchestra. Performances take place at Kulas Hall, Wednesday, November 7, through Friday, November 9, at 7pm, and Saturday, November 10, at 3pm.

Winter's baroque opera Hippolyte et Aricie (1733) by Jean-Philippe Rameau brings a celebratory note to the season. Produced in collaboration with the Historical Performance Program at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU), these performances celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Joint Music Program between CIM and CWRU. Ellen Hargis-one of America's premier early music singers-directs the opera. Hargis also holds the position of Kulas Visiting Artist and Coordinator of Historic Performance Vocal Studies at CWRU. Audiences will be treated to an historic 18th-century arts experience thanks to the addition of baroque dance choreographed by noted baroque violinist Julie Andrijeski who also prepares the CWRU Baroque Orchestra. Andrijeski is CWRU senior instructor and artistic coordinator of Historical Performance Ensembles. Performances take place at Kulas Hall, Wednesday, February 27, through Friday, March 1, at 7:30pm, and Saturday, March 2, at 3pm.

As is customary, a varied program of selectively chosen opera excerpts conclude the opera season at Kulas Hall, Friday, April 26 and Saturday, April 17, 2019, at 7:30pm. Making her CIM opera director debut is international opera star and newly-appointed CIM Voice Department faculty member Dina Kuznetsova. Soprano Kuznetsova has performed leading roles on the stages of such international opera houses as the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Berlin's Staatsoper, Teatro Municipal de Santiago de Chile and Vienna State Opera. Music director for these CIM opera excerpts is John Simmons, CIM opera coach and assistant music director of CIM Opera Theater.

All productions include projected English text. Tickets are: $20 for adults; $15 for seniors and groups of 10 or more, and $10 for students. For tickets, call 216.795.3211 or visit cim.edu.

This season is funded in part by a grant from the John P. Murphy Foundation.

The Cleveland Institute of Music is one of just seven independent conservatories of music in the United States and one of three devoted exclusively to classical music performance. Its graduates command the most celebrated and revered stages in the world as soloists, chamber musicians and ensemble members; compose meaningful, award-winning new repertoire; and are highly sought-after teaching artists, administrators and thought leaders. More than half of the members of The Cleveland Orchestra are connected to CIM as members of the faculty, alumni or both. All students benefit from access to world-renowned visiting artists and conductors, intensive study with CIM's stellar faculty and the rich curriculum offered by CIM's partner Case Western Reserve University. CIM is an integral part of Cleveland's arts community, presenting nearly 600 free performances and master classes on campus each year, and hundreds more at locations throughout the region, including Severance Hall. Explore cim.edu to learn more.

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