Subscribing can save your life!

Our friends at the Kentucky Center made us aware of a recent BBC report on the cardiovascular effects of opera. The study by Circulation journal states:

"The researchers tested out various combinations of music and silence on the volunteers and found tracks rich in emphasis that alternated between fast and slow, like operatic music, appeared to be the best for the circulation and the heart.

Verdi's arias, which follow music phrases that are 10 seconds long, appeared to synchronise perfectly with the natural cardiovascular rhythm."

With Verdi's Traviata opening the Kentucky Opera season, for your life, for your heart; subscribe to Kentucky Opera today!!

Did you hear??

Already we are getting excited about the Brown-Forman 2009 Fall Season. Traviata is going to be spectacular with soprano Elizabeth Futral as Violetta. Some may remember Elizabeth from the first season of the Metropolitan Opera HD productions, the world premier of Tan Dun's The First Emperor starring along side of Placido Domingo. Her parents were in the audience at Tinsel Town that day, and were so proud.

Another exciting element of this season is the

risk free subscription

offer from the Fund for the Arts. If you buy a subscription and see Traviata and do not enjoy the experience, Allan Cowen will refund the entire price of your subscription. What have you got to lose?

Lyric Opera of Chicago's La Traviata photo by Dan Rest

Where's David Roth??

Last weekend, we were all very busy with the car raffle drawing and the Guild of Kentucky Opera held a birthday party for David.

The winner of the 2009-10 Car Raffle is (drum roll please) Ruth Ann Compton of Washington DC! Congratulations to Ruth who decided to take the $50,000 in lieu of the Porsche. All in all, the Opera exceeded their goal for the car raffle netting about $80,000.
The Guild's birthday party also raised a little coin for KYO. Donations in David's name are still rolling in but we are over $1000 at this point which isn't bad for a little birthday gathering. The invitation only event was held at the studio of Bryce Hudson and was well attended by Guild, Board, and friends.

Now that we are getting into summer, we see more sun and less David. Already, Kentucky Opera's General Director has gone to France to enjoy opera with friends, today he is in Toronto where he will see La Boheme and Mid Summer Nights Dream, and in a couple of weeks he will be in St. Louis. All to hear the artists that may make it to our fair city. Pick some good ones David!

The Wagnerian on Bomhard

During these tough financial times, every single arts organization in our city is making necessary and important decisions to keep its fiscal responsibilities intact without compromising its artistic integrity. Many patrons of the arts have already been heavily involved in making sure that this great city will continue to provide great art. Louisville is known in many surrounding states for its offerings and thus has become a destination for art lovers region-wide. As our respected critic, Andrew Adler, pointed out in his well constructed article in The Courier-Journal on Sunday, April 19 every organization is making strategic moves to consolidate, regroup and rise through the occasion.

As expected, the Fund for the Arts is a vital part of this process. They are always an integral piece in the development and the continuation of the arts that pulsate in our city. As a supporter of the arts I am delighted with their existence. As proclaimed on their web page their mission is to increase revenues for the arts and to enable our community to become the preeminent regional arts center in the United States. The Fund continues to provide financing, facilities and administrative support for twenty-nine area arts groups and programs. This week the 60th Anniversary edition of Bravo came out. The Fund for the Arts magazine has an article listing the 60 persons who have defined the arts in Louisville. Robert S. Whitney, Louisville Orchestra's first Music Director, is at the top of the list which is wonderful. The publication elaborates on the great support the arts in Louisville have appreciated for decades.

As an Opera lover I am always fighting with passion and enthusiasm to provide as much support as I can for this incredible art form, which combines theater, vocal and orchestral music, dance and visual art. That being said, an addition to the Fund for the Arts’ otherwise thorough and diverse list, I would add Moritz Von Bomhard, Kentucky Opera’s founder. For those of you that have forgotten who this great man was, here is a very quick history lesson.

Moritz von Bomhard (1908-1996) was born in Germany. Bomhard received a law degree from the University of Leipzig and a music degree from the Leipzig Conservatory of Music. He moved to the United States in 1935, continued his studies at Juilliard and became a music instructor at Princeton University, where he also directed its orchestra and glee clubs. He eventually settled in Louisville where he founded Kentucky Opera and taught at the University of Louisville. He is well known for his transcriptions, especially to melodies by Strauss. So there you have it…a great man, a great instructor, a great patron of the arts. He is the embodiment of someone who has given to this artistic community not only a respected Opera organization but an enormous legacy throughout these past decades. Moritz Von Bomhard should be recognized in every occasion as not only someone who brought Opera to this city but as someone who has touched many generations of Louisville residents with his artistic integrity and vision. Viva Voce! Viva Kentucky Opera! Viva Moritz von Bomhard.

posted by: Christos "The Wagnerian" Dimitriadis

140 Characters to help Kentucky Opera

Now this is an interesting fundraising strategy.
Hugh Jackman has offered to donate $100,000 to one person's favorite charity if they are able to convince him he should do so in 140 characters (spaces and punctuation included) on the social media site, Twitter. The online news source, The Australian quotes Jakman as twittering:
"The more passion shown for your charity the better! Get the support of your friends and teach them the importance of giving."

So all you opera fans, sign up for twitter, follow Hugh Jackman, and tell him why he should give Kentucky Opera 100K in 140 characters or less!

Iolanta Review by the Wagnerian

Dearest Opera Lovers,

Greetings from the humble pen of the Wagnerian!

Those of you that have followed my previous critiques know that I usually begin my writings by describing the performance while offering my opinion as to which parts where the strongest and which parts needed some form of improvement. It would be futile for me to go into detail concerning this Saturday’s performance of Tchaikovsky’s last opera “Iolanta” which he finished composing barely ten months before he passed away from this earth and into the pantheon of the greatest composers ever lived. Only by attending the performance on Saturday, March 21 at Kentucky Center's Whitney Hall, one could understand the full effect this offering had for the Louisville audience.

I have to admit, I love Opera more than life itself; I live, I breathe, I inhale into the deepest parts of my existence pulsating, invigorating, seductive opera…just like the finest perfume draped gracefully on the silky skin of a lovely lady. However, I always thought that opera concerts were not to my full liking and taste. How can one take away the theatrics, the costumes and stage grandeur of opera and expect the same pleasing effect? Thus, I entered Saturday’s performance with the same mindset…only to be absolutely transformed for life. I will never, EVER again feel that opera concerts are the red headed step child of this performing medium. On the contrary, Kentucky Opera presented an amazingly tight cast of talented performers with a brilliant collaboration between their own studio artists, visiting distinguished soprano from Canada (Anna Shafajinskaia) and distinguished cast from the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg and the United States. The Louisville Orchestra performed in top notch fashion (Bravo Maestro Mester – he possessed such grace, control and power), the Louisville Chorus charmed with its presence (Bravo to David Roth for those of you who were paying attention!!) and the Louisville audience showed its appreciation with cheers and loud applause. I personally acquired quite a hoarse throat at the end from the continuous bravo’s that were rolling out of my mouth. I do not need to go into detail concerning each one of the performers individually; I am sure you will read about it in the Courier Journal. I would like to urge you that if the review is excellent please believe it fully; but if not take it with a grain of salt (with no ill will towards our distinguished critic Mr. Adler who most of the time I do not see eye to eye with).

The applause was deafening and continued over and over again; at the end of each aria, at the end of the concert and during the reception. I am thirsty for more and I hope that Kentucky Opera will present another brilliant opera concert this coming year (make sure you keep this coming David). The people of Louisville have spoken louder than I can ever print with this pen (or should I say keyboard?). BRAVO, BRAVO and BRAVO again!! Thank you to Kentucky Opera executive director David Roth and its staff for having the vision to bring such brilliant performances to our city. Bravo to our studio artists for their tenacity and brilliant talent (we shall miss the ones who are departing-best of luck to your new endeavors and come back to visit your friends). Bravo to those of you who continue to support great art such as our Kentucky Opera company and push it to thrive towards new horizons…together we can and shall overcome obstacles presented by this economic crisis and continue to make our society better through art, through my greatest love – OPERA!!

Remember to buy season tickets for the coming sensational performances and I shall see you where voice meets theater, where theater meets music, where music meets the soul. VIVA VOCE! Thank you Kentucky Opera for a season that I will never forget and for tears that have been forged on my cheeks and in my heart forever!!

Christos “The Wagnerian” Dimitriadis

King Rene

Wednesday afternoon two of our Iolanta singers were at WUOL for an interview with Daniel Gilliam. Ukrainian by birth, and Canadian by love, Anna Shafajinskaia will be our Iolanta and was so gracious to give her time after one rehearsal and before another. Mikhail Svetlov, who will sing King Rene, was there as well. You can listen to the entire podcast here.

In the interview, I learned that this was Anna's firs time singing this role, and she is very excited to add it to her rep. Mikhail on the other hand has been singing King Rene f,rom the beginning noting this was the first opera he performed in professionally.
Below is a video of one King Rene performance by Svetlov to give you a sample of what we will hear this Saturday, March 21 at 8pm at Whitney Hall. Get your tickets here.



FYI - There are $10 Arts Rush tickets available at the Kentucky Center Box office two hours before the show (6pm).