The Hartt School Presents THE TENDER LAND 2/4-7

The Hartt School Vocal Studies Division presents Aaron Copland's The Tender Land, on Thursday, February 4, Friday, February 5, and Saturday, February 6, at 7:30 PM, and Sunday, February 7, at 3:00 PM in Millard Auditorium on the University of Hartford campus. Admission is $20, with discounts for seniors, students, and groups. For tickets and information, call the University of Hartford Box Office at 860.768.4228 or 800.274.8587, or buy tickets online at www.hartford.edu/hartt.

The Tender Land was composed in 1953 on a commission from Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. Concerning a girl transformed into a young woman by her first experience of love, The Tender Land is set in the American Midwest during the 1930s. With melodic, easygoing music in the folkish vein, and with spoken dialogue in the style of the musical stage, the score has come to be regarded as one of Copland's finest, as he himself believed it to be. This Main Stage opera performance will be accompanied by the Hartt Symphony Orchestra.

Hartt Vocal Coach Doris Lang Kosloff is The Tender Land's music director/conductor. Undergraduate students performing in shows with alternating casts are: Gabrielle Brazauska, Claudia Rosenthal, and Amanda Sieber as Laurie; Lindsey Grebeldinger and Shannen Hofheimer as Ma Moss; Raquel Fatiuk-Wilkerson and Jennifer Salamone as Beth; Waylon Jacques and Miguel Vasquez as Grandpa Moss; Stephen Corma and Jeffrey Soto as Martin; Madison Ford and Kyle Torrence as Top; Matthew Cramer and Anthony Edley as Mr. Splinters; Jessica Berube and Dana Kephart as Mrs. Splinters; Nelson Ebo and Michael Spaziani as Mr. Jenks; and Valdis Gregory and Alyssa Marino as Mrs. Jenks.

The Ensemble includes sopranos Maayan Harel, Katie Tewksbury, and Jordan Traficante; altos Jessica Berube, Laura Fasulo, and Dan Kephart; tenors Nelson Ebo and Anthony Edley; and basses Matthew Cramer and Michael Spaziani.