Florida Grand Opera Announces 2011 - 2012 Season

Florida Grand Opera has announced the productions for the 2011-2012 season, which will be the Company's 71st consecutive season of producing grand opera in South Florida. The season includes two important "firsts" for FGO: the first presentation of a zarzuela, Torroba's Luisa Fernanda, and the first production of Puccini's La rondine. The season will also include Verdi's Rigoletto and Gounod's Roméo et Juliette.

The season will open on November 12, 2011, with Federico Moreno Torroba's zarzuela Luisa Fernanda. Zarzuela, a popular Spanish form of musical theater, incorporates both spoken dialogue and singing. Zarzuela's vocal requirements are decidedly operatic, and many of the world's leading Hispanic opera singers have appeared in and recorded zarzuela. Luisa Fernanda, which had its premiere in Madrid in 1932, is considered to be the last great romantic zarzuela.

Luisa Fernanda takes place during the republican-monarchist conflicts of 1868, during which Luisa,
the heroine, finds herself in a romantic triangle with Javier, a dashing young army officer, and Vidal, a wealthy landowner. Luisa Fernanda is a co-production of Florida Grand Opera and SaludArte Foundation. The production, from Madrid's Teatro Real, and which has been seen at Milan's La Scala, Washington National Opera, and Los Angeles Music Center Opera, will be conducted by Pablo Mielgo, and directed by Emilio Sagi. Casting will be confirmed in the near future.

Luisa Fernanda by Federico Moreno Torroba • Sung in Spanish with English & Spanish projected
Translations

MIAMI Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County /
Sanford and Dolores Ziff Ballet Opera House
November 12, 2011 at 7 p.m. - Opening Night
November 15, 18, 23 & 26, 2011 at 8:00 p.m.
November 20, 2011, matinee at 2 p.m.

FORT LAUDERDALE ? Broward Center for the Performing Arts / Au-Rene Theater
December 1 & 3, 2011 at 8 p.m.

The season will continue in January with Florida Grand Opera's first production of Puccini's La
rondine. In 1913, Puccini was approached in Vienna about composing an operetta, and having come to know and admire the work of Franz Lehár, he accepted the challenge. La rondine's premiere took place at the opera house in Monte Carlo in 1917, and although it never attained the popularity of many of Puccini's other works, it has recently enjoyed considerable new interest, attracting leading singers in productions at major opera houses. Magda's aria "Chi il bel sogno di Doretta" is one of Puccini's most beautiful and is justifiably famous. La rondine means "the swallow" and refers to a prediction made early in the opera that although Magda may spread her wings in search of love and romance, she, like the swallow, will return to the place and life that she knows.

Soprano Elizabeth Caballero, an FGO favorite artist whose recent appearances with the company
include Mimì in La bohème and the Countess in The Marriage of Figaro, will return to sing Magda in
La rondine. She will be joined by the baritone Craig Colclough as Rambaldo, and Corinne Winters as Lisette. Newly appointed FGO Music Director Ramon Tebar, whose previous conducting assignments at FGO include Lucia di Lammermoor and Turandot, will conduct the production. Nicola Bowie, who directed FGO's 2008 La bohème, returns as the stage director for La rondine. This production is made possible by a generous gift from the Arthur F. and Alice E. Adams Foundation and the Adams Supporting Foundation.

La rondine
by Giacomo Puccini • Sung in Italian with English and Spanish projected Translations

MIAMI Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County /
Sanford and Dolores Ziff Ballet Opera House
January 21, 2012 at 7 p.m. - Opening Night
January 24, 27, February 1 & 4, 2012 at 8:00 p.m.
January 29, 2012, matinee at 2 p.m.

One of the world's best loved operas, Verdi's Rigoletto, last seen at FGO in 2006, will return to the
company in a production featuring baritone Mark Walters in the title role. Mr. Walters received
critical and audience acclaim at FGO as Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor and as Escamillo in the
2010 production of Carmen. Rigoletto is one of the most dramatic and compelling works ever created for the operatic stage. It is the story of a court jester who enables the Duke's philandering and mocks the husbands and fathers of the victims. When he finds his own daughter, whom he has kept a well hidden secret, to be the Duke's newest victim, he tries to repay evil with evil, and it goes horribly wrong.

Mr. Walters will be joined by former FGO Young Artist Studio member Rachele Gilmore as Gilda,
Rigoletto's daughter, and Michael Fabiano as the Duke of Mantua. Rachele Gilmore appeared as
Olympia in the Metropolitan Opera's recent production of The Tales of Hoffmann and enjoyed a
highly successful debut in the house. Of her appearance in Boston Lyric Opera's Ariadne auf Naxos, Opera News wrote, "As Zerbinetta, soprano Rachele Gilmore . . . displayed more talent and charm than any one person should be allowed to possess." American tenor Michael Fabiano made his Metropolitan Opera debut in 2010 in Verdi's Stiffelio, and recently appeared in English National Opera's production of Donizetti's Lucrezia Borgia. The New York Times reported, "Mr. Fabiano was a strong Gennaro, singing with warm sound, poignant colorings and pinging top notes."

Resident Conductor Andrew Bisantz, whose recent Tosca for Boston Lyric Opera was highly
praised, will conduct the production, directed by former FGO Young Artist Jeff Buchman.

Rigoletto
by Giuseppe Verdi • Sung in Italian with English and Spanish projected Translations

MIAMI Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County /
Sanford and Dolores Ziff Ballet Opera House
January 28, 2012 at 7 p.m. - Opening Night
January 31, February 3, 8, & 11, 2012 at 8:00 p.m.
February 5, 2012, matinee at 2 p.m.

FORT LAUDERDALE ? Broward Center for the Performing Arts / Au-Rene Theater
February 16 & 18, 2012 at 8 p.m.

The final production of the season will be Gounod's Roméo et Juliette, not seen at FGO since 2004. Of the many operatic treatments of Shakespeare's play, Gounod's has been the most enduring, with its perfect depiction of the unrestrained passion of youth, and the bitter tragedy visited on the rival Capulet and Montague families.

Soprano Sarah Coburn, last seen as Rosina in FGO's 2010 production of The Barber of Seville, returns as Juliette. She has recently appeared with the Metropolitan Opera, Washington National Opera, Los Angeles Music Center Opera, and Seattle Opera. She will be joined by French tenor Sébastien Guèze as Roméo, who has been called by Opera News, "One of the most promising young tenors of his generation." He will make his FGO debut in David DiChiera's Cyrano at the close of FGO's 2010- 2011 season. Joseph Mechavich makes his FGO debut at conductor, and David Lefkowich makes his FGO mainstage debut as stage director. Roméo et Juliette is made possible by a generous donation from Randy Gage.

Roméo et Juliette
by Charles Gounod • Sung in French with English and Spanish projected Translations

MIAMI Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County /
Sanford and Dolores Ziff Ballet Opera House
April 21, 2012 at 7 p.m. - Opening Night
April 24, 27, May 2 & 5, 2012 at 8:00 p.m.
April 29, 2012, matinee at 2 p.m.

FORT LAUDERDALE ? Broward Center for the Performing Arts / Au-Rene Theater
May 10 & 12, 2012 at 8 p.m.

Subscriptions for the 2011-2012 season start at only $32. For more information and tickets, please call 1-800-741-1010.

About Florida Grand Opera

Florida Grand Opera was formed in June 1994 by the merger of Greater Miami Opera, founded in 1941, and The Opera Guild Inc., of Fort Lauderdale, founded in 1945. Celebrating its 70th season of continuous performances during the 2010-2011 season, Florida Grand Opera stands as one of the oldest performing arts organizations in Florida. In addition to producing standard repertoire, Florida Grand Opera also presents lesser known operas, as well as commissions and produces new operas. Annually, main stage performances are attended by nearly 70,000 people, and education and outreach programs serve over 50,000 students. FGO offers several highly successful
outreach and educational programs, including its internationally-recognized Young Artist Studio. Founded in 1984, the program attracts young singers who train and enhance their professional skills during a 35-week Miami residency. Florida Grand Opera, recognized for funding by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the Florida Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts.