PORTopera Receives $10,000 Grant from National Endowment for the Arts

January 7, 2010

PORTLAND, Maine – The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) awarded PORTopera a $10,000 Access to Artistic Excellence grant to support its production of Engelbert Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel July 29 and 31 at Merrill Auditorium.

Israel Gursky will conduct PORTopera’s mainstage production of Hansel and Gretel directed by long-time Artistic Director and Stage Director Dona D. Vaughn. The production will include a 16-member multinational children’s chorus drawn from Portland’s immigrant community who will rehearse and perform with the professional singers and orchestra.

The NEA awards Access to Artistic Excellence grants to support artistic excellence, preserve cultural heritage, and provide access to the arts for all Americans.  It is particularly interested in projects that extend the arts to underserved populations -- those whose opportunities to experience the arts are limited by geography, ethnicity, economics, or disability. NEA made 13 of these grants to organizations in Maine for the 2010 year totaling $260,000.

Performance dates for PORTopera’s performance of Hansel and Gretel are Thursday, July 29 at 7:30 P.M. and Saturday, July 31 at 2:00 P.M. (matinee). A limited number of seats will be offered to young people 12 and under at 25% off regular prices. To order call PortTix at 207-842-0800 or visit www.porttix.com.

About PORTopera:
PORTopera is Maine’s only opera company performing fully staged operas with nationally and internationally acclaimed artists. For more information visit www.portopera.org or call (207) 879-7678.

Great Gift Idea: Tickets Now on Sale for PORTopera’s Hansel and Gretel July 29 and 31

PORTLAND, Maine – Tickets are now on sale for PORTopera’s production of Hansel and Gretel to be held July 29 and 31. This production of Engelbert Humperdinck’s rendition of the Brothers Grimm tale will be directed by PORTopera’s Artistic Director Dona D. Vaughn and conducted by Israel Gursky.

Long thought of as an opera for children, Vaughn’s vision for it is far more intricate. She says, “Our production will concentrate on the real themes of the opera, but it will retain all of the magic for which the opera is famous so that young people can still get an unforgettable opera experience from seeing it.”

Performance dates are Thursday July 29 at 7:30 P.M. and Saturday, July 31 at 2:00 P.M. (matinee). A limited number of seats will be offered to young people 12 and under at 25% off regular prices. To order call PortTix at 207-842-0800 or visit www.porttix.com.

PORTopera Issues Challenge to Supporters: Raise $100,000 and Match Major Donor

PORTLAND, Maine – PORTopera has been presented with an incredible fundraising opportunity: a long-time donor has pledged $100,000, but with one condition; this money will be a match to an additional $100,000 that the company must raise through new donations. If PORTopera is able to complete the challenge, the gifts will total $200,000—a sum that will help secure the future of the opera company for years to come.

PORTopera made the fiscally conservative decision to celebrate its 15th Anniversary last summer with a concert instead of presenting a fully staged production. The decision was made out of concern for the challenging economic climate and provided a sound alternative to the much pricier option of casting, rehearsing and staging a full-scale opera. The savings realized from this event have allowed the company to finish its fiscal year in the black; other similarly sized opera groups across the country have not been able to stay afloat during the recession.

Achieving the recently presented $100,000 goal for new donations and receiving the corresponding matching gift will enable PORTopera to return to the stage at Merrill Auditorium next summer with a full-length production. In anticipation of meeting the challenge, PORTopera is planning a provocative version of Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel for 2010.

Gifts that qualify for the matching program include donations from patrons who have not contributed since before 2007, from those who increase their gifts from previous years and completely new donors, including corporations and foundations. All of these gifts will be matched, up to $100,000, by PORTopera's major donor.

"This $200,000 opportunity is exactly what we needed in order to truly plan for our future," said board president Don Head. "We were very nervous about our future leading up to last summer's concert, but after meeting this challenge, we will be in a strong position for the next 15 years."

For more information about PORTopera and this matching challenge, visit www.portopera.org or call 207-879-7678.

PORTopera’s 15th Anniversary Gala Concert Features Internationally Acclaimed Singers

PORTopera's 15th Anniversary Gala Concert Features Internationally Acclaimed Singers

PORTLAND, Maine – On July 30th, seven nationally and internationally recognized opera singers will take the stage at Merrill Auditorium in celebration of PORTopera's 15th Anniversary season. The Gala's featured singers will present selections from the company's past productions, as well as pieces from operas under consideration for future years, accompanied by a full orchestra.

Directed by PORTopera's Artistic Director Dona D. Vaughn, the concert will be conducted by Robert Moody, celebrated Music Director of the Portland Symphony Orchestra. Featured singers for the concert include PORTopera past guest artists: Pamela Armstrong (soprano), Jeneice Golbourne (mezzo-soprano), Sandra Lopez (soprano), Michael Mayes (baritone), Lauren McNeese (mezzo-soprano), Jan Opalach (bass-baritone), and Gaston Rivero (tenor).

Pamela Armstrong, a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, has appeared in countless productions across the United States, Europe, and has even appeared as the Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro with the Vienna State Opera in Beijing, China. Other leading roles include Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, the title role in Susannah, and Mimi in La Bohème. Armstrong made her debut with the Metropolitan Opera, Palm Beach Opera, Pittsburgh Opera and Opera Pacific in the 2001-2002 season, and recently returned to Europe to sing the role of the Countess in Toulouse, France. She appeared in La Bohème for PORTopera in 1999.

Jeniece Golbourne's career highlights include singing the lead role in Carmen and Suzuki in Madama Butterfly, both at the Manhattan School of Music, and Hippolyta in A Midsummer Night's Dream with the Westminster Opera Theater. A graduate of Westminster Choir College and the Manhattan School of Music, Golbourne has a master's degree in Voice Performance. She has performed in the U.S. from California to New York and has even crossed the ocean to appear at concerts in Germany with the Deutsche Kammeracademie Neuss am Rhein Orchestra and Würzberg Orchestra. Golbourne sang Lola in PORTopera's Cavalleria Rusticana in 2004.

Sandra Lopez has captivated audiences across the country, appearing as Catherine in the premier run of A View from the Bridge at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, the title role in Tosca, Mimi in La Bohème, and many other performances in Florida, Texas, Tennessee, Connecticut and Massachusetts. She has been the recipient of numerous prizes, awards and grants, including winning the Metropolitan Opera Competition, receiving a Grand Prize with the Florida Grand Opera Young Patroness Association, receiving a Career Grant from the George London Foundation, and being honored as a World Finalist in the Luciano Pavarotti Competition. She has appeared in several PORTopera productions: Carmen in 2005, Pagliacci and Cavalleria Rusticana in 2004 and Faust in 2002.

Michael Mayes has been recognized by the opera world internationally for his masculine presence and stage command. In companies like the Madison Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Palm Beach Opera and more, Mayes has recently appeared as the title role in Don Giovanni, Marcello in La Bohème and Morales in Carmen. Here in Portland, he took on the role of Mercutio in Roméo et Juliette for PORTopera. Abroad, he has appeared in conjunction with La Fenice in Castel-Franco Veneto, Italy. Past honors he has received include 3rd place at the Metropolitan National Council Auditions in Chicago, and the Entergy Young Texas Artist Competition Vocalist Award among others.

Lauren McNeese, whose voice has been described as "creamy", has appeared in the Los Angeles-staged, Woody Allen production of Gianni Schicchi as La Ciesca. In addition to her appearance at the PORTopera Gala celebration this summer, she will also travel to Italy to reprise this role in the Festival dei Due Mondi. In a 2007 PORTopera production of The Barber of Seville, Lauren played the role of Rosina, and also performed the following season in Roméo et Juliette. A graduate of the Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center of Lyric Opera of Chicago, McNeese will make her debut at the Arizona Opera this coming season in addition to returning to the Los Angeles Opera to sing in Das Rheingold and Götterdämmerung.

Jan Opalach has been hailed as one of the most versatile vocalists in the U.S. Playing in both dramatic and comic roles, he has appeared with the Oratorio Society of Washington and New York, the Handel Festival Orchestra, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra and Musica Sacra, and the New York City Opera. He has performed in two PORTopera shows: Don Giovanni in 2006 and The Barber of Seville in 2007. Opalach has recorded a number of works, including Igor Stravinsky's Renard/Pulcinella, Wolpe's Quintet with Voice and more. His awards include the 1979 Metropolitan Opera National Auditions, the 1980 Walter M. Naumburg Vocal Competition, and the 1981 International Vocal Competition at s'Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands.

Tenor Gaston Rivero made his debut performance in New York City in Baz Luhrmann's La Boheme on Broadway in 2003 and has since performed a number of roles on the operatic stage. The young Uruguayan-American sang Roméo in PORTopera's 2008 production of Roméo et Juliette. Other roles include Don José in Carmen and B.F. Pinkerton in Madame Butterfly, among others, at Deutsche Oper Berlin, L'Opéra de Lausanne, Opera Carolina and more. Rivero also frequently appears at Carnegie Hall in New York. He has received numerous awards, including the Deutsche Oper Berlin Award in 2009 and the Vidda Award from Opera Orchestra of New York for the 2007-2008 season.

The July 30th PORTopera Anniversary Concert will feature selections from: Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro, Verdi's La Traviata, Puccini's La Boheme, Leoncavallo's I Pagliacci, Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana and Bizet 's Carmen. Tickets range from $38 to $100 plus PortTix handling fees, and may be purchased at www.porttix.com, by calling (207) 842-0800, or by visiting the PortTix box office Monday through Saturday from noon to 6:00 p.m.

For more information about the concert and other PORTopera 15th anniversary events, visit www.portopera.org.

Tickets Now On Sale for PORTopera’s 15th Anniversary Gala Concert, July 30

Tickets are now on sale for PORTopera's 15th Anniversary Gala Celebration Concert to be held Thursday, July 30 at 7:30 p.m. PORTopera, Maine's only professional opera company, enjoys its 15th anniversary with special events throughout the summer, including the grand opera concert featuring a full orchestra and singers from past productions. The concert takes place at Merrill Auditorium (20 Myrtle Street, Portland).

Directed by PORTopera's Artistic Director Dona D. Vaughn, the concert will be conducted by Robert Moody, celebrated Music Director of the Portland Symphony Orchestra. Featured singers for the concert include PORTopera past guest artists: Pamela Armstrong (soprano), Heather Johnson (mezzo-soprano), Sandra Lopez (soprano), Michael Mayes (baritone), Lauren McNeese (mezzo-soprano), Jan Opalach (bass-baritone), and Gaston Rivero (tenor).

Some of the planned arias and duets planned for the Anniversary Concert are: "Si. Mi Chiamano Mimì" from Puccini's La Bohème, "Un bel dì" and the "Flower Duet" from Puccini's Madama Butterfly, the "Habanera" and "Toréador's Song" from Bizet's Carmen, and "Là ci darem la mano" from Mozart's Don Giovanni.

Tickets for the PORTopera Anniversary Concert range from $38 to $100 plus PortTix handling fees, and may be purchased at www.porttix.com, by calling (207) 842-0800, or by visiting the PortTix box office Monday through Saturday from noon to 6:00 p.m.

For more information about the concert and other PORTopera 15th anniversary events, visit www.portopera.org .

PORTopera to Replace “Don Pasquale” with 15th Anniversary “Grand” Concert

 

PORTopera to Replace "Don Pasquale" with 15th Anniversary "Grand" Concert

PORTLAND, Maine -- PORTopera, Maine's only professional opera company, will celebrate its 15th Anniversary with a series of events in the spring and summer of 2009, culminating in a grand opera concert featuring a full orchestra and singers from its past productions. The concert will take place at Merrill Auditorium July 30 at 7:30 pm.

This grand opera concert, scheduled for one night only, will replace the company's originally scheduled performances of Donizetti's Don Pasquale. The company's Board President, Donald L. Head discussed the decision, saying, "As we anticipate continuing financial uncertainty, we are eliminating the risk a full opera production poses, replacing it with an alternative event that celebrates our 15 years of producing world-class opera for audiences in Maine." Head also acknowledged that Maine's opera fans, the thousands who have attended PORTopera's productions over the years, would rightly expect a special event signifying that PORTopera will continue to be an important player in Maine's, and New England's, cultural scene.

"We plan to return for our 16th season with a fully staged production of an opera in 2010," added Head. "We will not lose track of our mission: to present great operatic masterpieces in Maine."

PORTopera's Artistic Director, Dona D. Vaughn, plans to announce the performers and program details as soon as they are finalized. Robert Moody, Music Director of the Portland Symphony Orchestra, will conduct.

In addition to the grand opera concert on July 30, PORTopera will continue with its long-standing tradition of supporting Maine's operatic talent through its Maine's Emerging Artists program. This program, presented in five locations last year (Portland Museum of Art, Portland; University of Maine at Augusta; Salyard's Center for the Arts, Conway, NH; The Temple, Ocean Park; Deertrees Theatre, Harrison) is led by Ellen Chickering, the Director of the Opera Workshop at the University of Southern Maine School of Music. Auditions for the 2009 production have been held and plans are underway for this annual traveling production.

Other 15th anniversary events include an Anniversary Celebration kick off on April 3rd, a gala dinner-dance and auction on June 5th, the company's traditional President's Dinner on July 30, and summer and fall fund-raising recitals. For information on these events, call 207-879-7678 or visit www.portopera.org.

PORTopera Announces Call for Auditions, Feb. 21-22

PORTopera HOLDS AUDITIONS FOR MAINE'S EMERGING ARTISTS PROGRAM AND THEIR SUMMER PERFORMANCE OF DON PASQUALE, FEBRUARY 21-22 PORTLAND, Maine – PORTopera will hold two separate auditions this February for upcoming projects. Chorus auditions for their summer 2009 mainstage performance of Gaetano Donizetti's comic opera Don Pasquale will be held Saturday, February 21 from 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Auditions for their Maine's Emerging Artists (MEA) program will be held on Sunday, February 22 from 10:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. All auditions will take place at the Corthell Concert Hall on the USM Gorham campus. For Don Pasquale auditions on Saturday, February 21 candidates should be prepared to perform a song or aria, preferably in Italian, but English is also acceptable. An accompanist will be provided. Auditions must be scheduled in advance by calling (207) 879-7678 or emailing info@portopera.org (with the subject line "Chorus Audition"). Music rehearsals begin in June and staging rehearsals begin the second week in July. Performances of Don Pasquale will be held at Merrill Auditorium in Portland Thursday, July 30 and Saturday, August 1. Young artists under the age of 35 and with ties to the State of Maine (either through family, education or work) are eligible for an audition with PORTopera's 2009 Maine's Emerging Artists program. Applicants must submit an application form, headshot, resume and CD/DVD/VHS recording to: PORTopera, MEA auditions, P.O. Box 7733, Portland, ME 04112. Applications can be downloaded from the company's website at www.portopera.org. Applicants selected for an audition on Sunday, February 22 will be contacted by PORTopera in advance. MEA participants will perform a short opera in English at Maine and New Hampshire venues in June and July 2009 (rehearsals begin in early June). MEA participants will also perform in the Chorus of PORTopera's summer 2009 production of Donizetti's Don Pasquale, which will be presented at Portland's Merrill Auditorium July 30 and August 1. About PORTopera: PORTopera is Maine's only opera company performing fully staged operas with nationally and internationally acclaimed singers. PORTopera will be celebrating its 15th season in 2009 with two performances of Donizetti's Don Pasquale July 31 and August 1. For more information visit www.portopera.org.