Maria Martinez News

On the heels of his success this summer at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, where, almost 'steal[ing] the show' (Independent), he proved himself a 'thrilling Adorno' (Financial Times) opposite Plácido Domingo in Simon Boccanegra, Joseph Calleja begins the 2010-11 season with his Houston Grand Opera debut in a new, opening-night production of Madama Butterfly. Calleja sings B.F. Pinkerton opposite soprano Ana Maria Martinez, who makes her role debut as the tragic Cio-Cio-San. The production team will be led by the renowned British director Michael Grandage, who received the 2010 Tony Award for Best Director of a Play for Red, and who is celebrated by theater audiences for his productions of Hamlet and Frost/Nixon. The cast of Madama Butterfly will work under HGO Music Director Patrick Summers. The first performance on October 22 marks the opening night of the company's 2010-11 season, and the production runs through November 5.

On the heels of his success this summer at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, where, almost 'steal[ing] the show' (Independent), he proved himself a 'thrilling Adorno' (Financial Times) opposite Plácido Domingo in Simon Boccanegra, Joseph Calleja begins the 2010-11 season with his Houston Grand Opera debut in a new, opening-night production of Madama Butterfly. Calleja sings B.F. Pinkerton opposite soprano Ana Maria Martinez, who makes her role debut as the tragic Cio-Cio-San. The production team will be led by the renowned British director Michael Grandage, who received the 2010 Tony Award for Best Director of a Play for Red, and who is celebrated by theater audiences for his productions of Hamlet and Frost/Nixon. The cast of Madama Butterfly will work under HGO Music Director Patrick Summers. The first performance on October 22 marks the opening night of the company's 2010-11 season, and the production runs through November 5.

Bass-baritone John Relyea will sing the role of Figaro, and Ailyn Perez will play the Countess in Ravinia Festival's production of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 6, and 1 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 8, in the Martin Theatre.

Bass-baritone John Relyea will sing the role of Figaro, and Ailyn Perez will play the Countess in Ravinia Festival's production of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 6, and 1 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 8, in the Martin Theatre.

Bass-baritone John Relyea will sing the role of Figaro, and Ailyn Perez will play the Countess in Ravinia Festival's production of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 6, and 1 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 8, in the Martin Theatre.

Ravinia celebrates opera with Mozart's Così fan tutte and The Marriage of Figaro featuring the Chicago Symphony Orchestra led by James Conlon and joined by all-star casts as well as members of the Chicago Symphony Chorus. Both operas will be presented in the Martin Theatre and will receive two performances, Così on Aug. 5 and 7 and Figaro on Aug. 6 and 8. Cosi fan tutte features 'one of America's finest artists and singers' (New York Times), mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade, portraying Despina; Grammy Award winning soprano Ana Maria Martinez, who last appeared at Ravinia with Plácido Domingo at the festival's 2007 Gala, as Fiordiligi; Romanian mezzo-soprano Ruxandra Donose, who recently appeared as Veronica Quaife in The Fly at L.A. Opera, making her Ravinia debut as Dorabella; Russian baritone Rodion Pogosov, who made his Metropolitan Opera debut playing Papageno in the 2004 production of Die Zauberflöte, portraying Guglielmo in his festival debut; and Albanian tenor Saimir Pirgu, who made his US debut singing Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi at LA Opera, conducted by Conlon and directed by Woody Allen, appearing as Ferrando in his festival debut.

Bass-baritone Richard Stilwell will sing the role of Don Alfonso in Cosí fan tutte, and bass-baritone Richard Bernstein will sing the role of Bartolo in The Marriage of Figaro with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and members of the Chicago Symphony Chorus conducted by James Conlon. These artists replace an ailing John Del Carlo, who was scheduled to perform both roles. Ravinia will present one evening and one matinee performance each of both full-length operas in the Martin Theatre. Così will be performed at 7 p.m. on Aug. 5 and 1 p.m. on Aug. 7, and Figaro at 7 p.m. on Aug. 6 and 1 p.m. on

Offering up greater variety, including more than 50 debuts from Sting to Wagnerian tenor John Treleaven, Ravinia Festival Chairperson Pamela B. Strobel and President and CEO Welz Kauffman today announced details of the 2010 season, including a Chicago Symphony Orchestra residency that celebrates major anniversaries of Mahler, Chopin, Schumann, Barber, Bernstein and Copland, as well as milestone birthdays of Music Director James Conlon, Christoph Eschenbach and Stephen Sondheim. The season, featuring 117 separate events, runs from June 3 through September 7.

As previously announced, this year's Ravinia Festival includes a new production of the musical Annie Get Your Gun; a gala concert celebrating Stephen Sondheim's 80th birthday and featuring highlights from Ravinia's Sondheim productions; Ravinia Music Director James Conlon's 60th birthday celebration taking the Chicago Symphony Orchestra into the Martin Theatre for two Mozart operas, featuring mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade in Così fan tutte and baritone Nathan Gunn in The Marriage of Figaro; Leonard Bernstein's Vocal Suite from Candide; Broadway vocalist Kelli O'Hara and pianist Hershey Felder in intimate solo shows in the Martin Theatre; world premieres with Concert Dance, Inc. and the debut of Delfos Danza Contemporánea; the presentation of Ballet Folklorico de Mexico; and a national radio broadcast of Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion. Today, the Ravinia organization revealed that George Hearn has been added to the cast of Annie Get Your Gun as Buffalo Bill Cody, joining Patti LuPone as Annie Oakley and Brian Stokes Mitchell as Frank Butler. Paul Gemignani will conduct the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for the show's three performances, Aug. 13-15. Hearn and LuPone also reunite with Michael Cerveris, Audra McDonald and the CSO for an all-Sondheim gala concert on July 31.

Offering up greater variety, including more than 50 debuts from Sting to Wagnerian tenor John Treleaven, Ravinia Festival Chairperson Pamela B. Strobel and President and CEO Welz Kauffman today announced details of the 2010 season, including a Chicago Symphony Orchestra residency that celebrates major anniversaries of Mahler, Chopin, Schumann, Barber, Bernstein and Copland, as well as milestone birthdays of Music Director James Conlon, Christoph Eschenbach and Stephen Sondheim. The season, featuring 117 separate events, runs from June 3 through September 7.

On June 16th, Situation Interactive hosted a fundraising event in New York City for its charitable extension Situation Cares.

The John Anson Ford Amphitheatre and Instrumental Women, La Quetta M. Shamblee, Founder and Executive Director; Phyllis Battle, Artistic Director and Co-Music Director; and Carol Chaikin, Co-Musical Director, present The Ninth Annual Lady Jazz Concert, 'LADY JAZZ IN THE KEY OF GRAND,' on Sunday, August 31, 2008 at 6:00 p.m. at the Ford Amphitheatre

The John Anson Ford Amphitheatre and Instrumental Women, La Quetta M. Shamblee, Founder and Executive Director; Phyllis Battle, Artistic Director and Co-Music Director; and Carol Chaikin, Co-Musical Director, present The Ninth Annual Lady Jazz Concert, 'LADY JAZZ IN THE KEY OF GRAND,' on Sunday, August 31, 2008 at 6:00 p.m. at the Ford Amphitheatre