Kentucky Opera’s black tie gala, Carnevale… La Vie Parisienne will be Saturday, January 21, 2012 at the Marriott Ballroom.The event begins at 6pm with the grand wine and spirit tasting, followed by dinner and entertainment by Kentucky Opera Studio Artists. The evening continues with the exciting live auction featuring rare wines and luxury items and finishes with dancing at Chez Maxim’s Lounge (conveniently located in the ballroom). Carnevale tickets are $225 per person.Michael Miller at 502.584.4500 or visit KYOpera.Org.
This year’s 1905 Paris theme, La Vie Parisienne is inspired by Kentucky Opera’s final production of the Brown-Forman 2011/12 Season, The Merry Widow.The Event Company will bring turn of the century art nouveau Paris to modern-day Louisville and Kentucky Opera’s Studio Artists will sing arias and ensembles from Franz Lehar’s romantic comedy along with other musical delights.
Throughout the evening partygoers will have the opportunity to bid on fun and festive silent auction items such as a beautiful Summer Eliason necklace; a foursome at Valhalla; a signed equine giclee by Jeaneen Barnhart and a night at the Brown Hotel. The silent auction has a little something for everyone, even a $5,000 total body makeover donated by Louisville Dermatology Clinic. After a scrumptious dinner, the premier live auction will begin featuring high-end luxury items such as dinners (Drs. Frank and Carolyn Burns put on a great party and have an AMAZING wine cellar), trips to Athens Greece and Sonoma Valley California, and of course, lots, and lots of hard-to-find wines.
New to the event this year, the Opera will raffle a one-week stay at MaisonRose, the most beautiful house in the pettiest village (St-Jean) of Dordogne, France.Kentucky Opera has printed just 30 raffle tickets and the lucky winner and five friends/family members will have a week in this beautiful home.
The second prize is a wonderful dinner for eight with French food and wine at the beautiful Cherokee Triangle home of Tanja Eikenboom and Rick Albrink here in Louisville. Not quite Maison Rose in France, but a prize more than worth the $500 price of a raffle ticket.
The winners need not be present to win. Airfare and ground transportation are not included. Commonwealth of Kentucky Charitable Gaming License #0534.
Chances are available for $500. To be one of the 30 entries in this raffle, contact Michael Miller at Kentucky Opera at 502.584.4500 or via email at Michael_Miller@KYOpera.org.
More information on Maison Rose can be found here.Read a Wall Street Journal review here.
Carnevale is one of Kentucky Opera’s major fundraisers. Last year the event raised $115,000 supporting Kentucky Opera’s mission through its education programs and mainstage productions.
“It’s said that St-Jean is the prettiest of the countless pretty villages in the Perigord. It’s also said, to our embarrassment, that Maison Rose is the most beautiful house in the village. There’s some stiff competition for both of those titles. All we know is that we feel unbelievably privileged to have found a house here, and to be able to share it with our friends.” --Jim and Mary Oppel, owners of Maison Rose in Dordogne, France
(Photo by John Nation) - The back terrace; people who visit in the warm weather months say this is the best part of the house.
Kentucky Opera has printed just 30 raffle tickets and the lucky winner and five friends/family members will have a week in this beautiful home. There are three bedrooms so go in with two other friends and the $500 ticket price is only $166 each. What a wonderful vacation! Those who have visited Maison Rose describe it as a gorgeous home in an equally gorgeous setting, convenient to many day trips and activities.
The second prize is a wonderful dinner for eight with French food and wine at the beautiful Cherokee Triangle home of Tanja Eikenboom and Rick Albrink here in Louisville. Not quite Maison Rose in France, but a prize more than worth the price of a raffle ticket.
The winners of these two fabulous prizes will be drawn at Kentucky Opera’s black tie event--Carnevale. . .la vie parisienne!at the Louisville Marriott Downtown Hotel
at 10 pm on Saturday, January 21, 2012.
The winners need not be present to win. Airfare and ground transportation are not included. Commonwealth of Kentucky Charitable Gaming License #0534.
To be one of the 30 entries in this raffle, contact Michael Miller at Kentucky Opera at 502.561.7934 or via email at Michael_Miller@KYOpera.org.
More information on Maison Rose can be found here.
We had sold out audiences for the Marriage of Figaro!
Check out the review from Arts-Louisville.com - where reviewer J. Barret Cooper says, "All are strong in voice, showing that Kentucky Opera does not scrimp on getting the best available talent in Opera today."
Selena Frye of Louisville.com stated "All in all, I think the night was a success -- and something of an experiment for both artists and audience." You can read her full review here.
We were overwhelmed with the great support from the community and our loyal subscribers who let us know they understand our situation by showing up! We received a lot of anecdotal feedback about the lack of an orchestra in the pit. Most of the patrons who spoke to Opera staff acknowledged the difficult decisions that had to be made. We heard multiple times, "I expected to not enjoy this performance, but by the beginning of the second half I was won over." Or “at a certain point I forgot the orchestra wasn’t there.”
We gave the opportunity for people put pen to paper to tell us how they felt. While only a small number actually wrote out their comments, the written responses were varied and honest for the most part.
"A wonderful effort! It would have been superlative with an orchestra."
"A Mozart Opera without an orchestra despite the stellar performances of the cast, is simply an incomplete opera."
A surprising number of people seemed to think that Kentucky Opera has influence over the contract between the Louisville Orchestra and it's musicians with statements like:
“The LO is entitled to a contract”
“Pay the musicians and orchestra their due. Give them their unemployment benefits.”
"I wonder where are the 'benefactors' for our orchestra like Louisville has for its sports programs."
But the majority of our patrons made statements like:
"We were comforted by the beauty of the music, our laughter and the strength of the performances today."
“Mozart is probably somewhere applauding wildly! What a masterpiece - masterfully sung, staged, acted.”
“The piano & harpsichord seemed appropriate accompaniment for this particular opera.”
“We appreciate the hard decisions that must be made. - You have our full support.”
Did you see Marriage of Figaro? What did you think? Leave a comment here or email us at info@kyopera.org.
Along with his Mo.Joe's Corner webisodes, Maestro Joseph Mechavich has interviewed the cast of Marriage of Figaro so you can get to know the amazing artists who will perform in the second production in the Brown-Forman 2011/12 Kentucky Opera season. Tickets are going fast, so you had better get them now if you haven't yet. Call us at 502.584.7777 or just click here. (The Kentucky Center now has a neat feature on their website where you can actualy select the seats you want. VERY cool.)
Meet the happy couple, Carlos Monzon will sing the role of Figaro, and Anya Matanovic will play his soon to be bride Susanna.
From the Classical 90.5FM WUOL Lunch and Listen
Want to see more? Our friends at MetroTV have the entire hour long program available online now. Click here to check it out!
Carlos Monzon Where do you call home? New York, NY, where my wife and baby are (or if this a more technical question then Guadalajara, where I was born and raised)
Who has had the biggest influence in your career and why? My parents, they built our family from the bottom up. They are still working and they are very present in my life as the inspiration that motivates me to be a better person and a better singer every day.
What is your process when preparing a role? Psychology first, I need to know the story, who I am, where I come from, where I’m going, why some characters interact with me and why some don’t. I read the libretto throughout and translate it completely and do research on it. Then I can start working on the music, and, the composer, through the music, usually answers questions that were left unanswered by my research on the piece.
What aspects of your character do you find the most rewarding? Being the “hero” of a story is always rewarding, but mainly Figaro is a very open and transparent person and that’s very refreshing since, with my type of voice, I get to play the villain a lot.
What are the most challenging aspects of your character? Honesty, the simple fact of having to ‘act honest’ is an oxymoron; and considering honesty is possibly one of the strongest attributes Figaro possesses, I believe this to be the biggest challenge along with the wittiness required to outsmart the Count.
What is your one guilty pleasure? Gadgets! I’m very passionate about technology.
What music is on your iPod or MP3 player (or music you like besides opera)? Anything from Metallica to Mariachi music, from Radiohead to Cesária Évora, I really like most music when I consider it has been well made and conceived.
What is your dream role and why? I’d love to play the Four Villains in Les contes d’Hoffmann; because they represent more than just an actual evil person or a nemesis. They represent those profound and destructive fears deep inside our subconscious, our split personality… when we become our worst enemy. To me this is one of the most powerful roles to play vocally and histrionically.
Anya Matanovic Where do you call home? Ah...home. I grew up in the Seattle area and still feel most at home there, but at the moment I am based in NYC. The wonderful thing about traveling to new cities to sing is that each one becomes your home for the duration of the rehearsals and performances. As I was starting this career and working through the challenges of traveling often and being home less and less - my family would quote the beginning of the Emily Dickenson poem - "Where thou art - that - is home".
Who has had the biggest influence in your career and why? There are far too many to name, but it all started with Maria Callas. One listen to the La Divina album at sixteen and I was a changed person. I promised myself that if I could make even one other person in this world feel the way I felt listening to her - then I had to do this. But truly - if I hadn't had the support of my parents every step of the way, I never would have stuck through this.
What is your process when preparing a role? I try to approach each role freshly and to be forgiving with myself. The voice takes time to adjust between different roles and, for me, each new role must settle in my voice over a few months. So I try to start as early as I can with the music and text. I think of it in layers- the line I sing, the text, the rhythm, the harmonies I create and the harmonies around me, the style of the composer, the emotion behind what I am saying, the emotion of the orchestra under me. The way my brain works is that I must work on each of these separately and then start putting them together. Because once you get to the rehearsal process you don't have time to be thinking of any of those things - they should just be there by that point. And that is when the fun really starts....
What aspects of your character do you find the most rewarding? I get to have a blast on stage and sing some of the most beautiful ensembles every written.
What are the most challenging aspects of your character? Keeping track of everything around me and who needs what and which prop goes where - I would be an awful maid! I would have sticky notes everywhere....
What is your one guilty pleasure? BBC period dramas
What music is on your ipod or MP3 player (or music you like besides opera)? Tina Turner, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life Album, The Beatles, Tori Amos, Glenn Gould, Brahms, Beethoven, Chopin, Bach, Mozart, good mixes from my sister and brother-in-law (though I doubt I could name the bands…but they keep me up to speed on current music coming out), Sondheim and R&H musicals.
What is your dream role and why? Musetta. Luckily, I have already been able to sing it - and in the gorgeous Zeffirelli production in Tel Aviv - where I entered the stage in Act II in a carriage pulled by a horse! She just has fantastic music! She gets to be feisty, but you also see the compassionate side of her in Act IV. And the whole show doesn't ride on her shoulders!
*************
A very special exclusive offer for Kentucky Opera Subscribers!
In honor of TheMarriage of Figaro November 18 and 20.
Thomson Smillie, former general director of Kentucky Opera and an internationally acclaimed speaker and writer on opera, has written a user-friendly introduction for the opera newcomer, full of facts and entertaining stories and opinion for the seasoned opera-lover.
….. hits exactly the right balance between fact, commentary and anecdote. And it reads SO well.”John Duffus, arts impresario, Bangkok.
Order on-line [see below] PICK UP YOUR COPY(ies) AT A FIGARO PERFORMANCE and save $4.50! on each copy plus the publisher will DONATE an additional $3 per copy to the Honorary Council’s 2012 Campaign!
Thomson will be at the Marketing Desk in the Brown Lobby to autograph copies if desired.
AN INSERTED FLIER WILL TELL YOU ABOUT OUR CHRISTMAS OFFER: discount + personalized dedication and signature + special mailer TO TAKE THE HASSLE OUT OF HOLIDAY SHOPPING and contribute to Kentucky Opera.
it’s very simple:
go to www.thomsonsmillie.com, click on Ky Opera Figaro at the top of the page, complete the order form, enter KY Opera Subscriber Exclusive code: “Figaro”.Order and pay online – save $2.00 off $16 published price PLUS save $.12 tax ALSO SAVE $2:63 postage and packing = Total SAVINGS of $4.75 PER COPY.
We had an amazing weekend! Carmen is definitely one of Kentucky's favorite operas, and people came out in droves to the Brown Theater to prove it!
There is still one more chance to see this spectacular presentation. Perhaps you have heard we added a a performance to fulfill demand. Next Friday, September 30 at 8pm, Tara Venditti and Scott Piper will thrill the third crowd of the Brown Theater. We haven't sold out yet, so if you want to see it again - bring a friend. Call 502.584.7777 or just click here.
Scott Dowd wrote on Arts-Louisville.com "Vendetti and Piper, both making their Kentucky Opera debuts have magnificent voices that easily fill the Brown, supported expertly by conductor Joe Mechavich and the orchestra." Read his full review here.
And Selena Frey of Louisville.Com enjoyed herself as well saying, "Tara Venditti captures not just Carmen's powers of seduction, but also her passionate vigor and independent spirit. Singing the famous "Habanera" about the fickleness of love, Venditti is playful and appealing." Read her full review here.
If you are not yet convinced, just watch the video, and you will be ready to see the whole show!
Kentucky Opera announced today that it has reached an agreementwith the Louisville Federation of Musicians Local 11-637 (Local 11-637)to playfor the Brown-Forman 2011/12 Season opening performances of Carmen.The agreement, signed September 9, 2011 is pending ratification by the musicians of the union and approval by the board of directors of Kentucky Opera.
While the opening night performance of Carmen, Friday, September 23 is sold out, the additional performances scheduled on Sunday, September 25 at 2pm and the following Friday, September 30 at 8pm still have tickets available.
David Roth says, “Live orchestral music is a criticalelement to our performances and as we have said, we make it a priority to provide the best Kentucky Opera experience possible for our patrons. We are pleased to work with officials from the Local 11-637 and the Louisville Orchestra Musicians Association (LOMA) as it is a familiar partnership for both the musicians and the Opera.
Rehearsals for Carmen, initially scheduled to begin Monday, September 12, have been rescheduled to start Wednesday, September 14.The current agreement includes the rehearsals and three performances of Carmen only.While Kentucky Opera is already planning for its next production, The Marriage of Figaro on November 18 and 20, Roth says, “We will continue discussions with the Local 11-637 in regards to our next performance once we finish Carmen. Again, it is our intent to use live music for all of our performances.”
LOMA official, Kim Tichenor says, “We are very pleased to have reached an agreement and to have gone through such smooth negotiations. It’s exciting to be back and performing the great music of Carmen.”
Tickets are still available for the September 25 at 2pm and September 30 at 8pm performances of Carmen and can be obtained by calling 502.584.7777. More information is available at KyOpera.org
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Due to incredible demand, Kentucky Opera is now selling tickets for a third performance of Carmen – Friday September 30. Single tickets range from $35 - $78 and are available by calling 502.584.7777 or visiting KYOpera.org.
General Director, David Roth says “Our Brown-Forman 2010 Fall Season was such a success that in the spring we optioned with all of our artists a third performance of Carmen, to be added if we reached our higher subscription goals. We are already 10% above last season in sales, and currently have limited seats available for our opening night on Friday, September 23rd. Given that success, we have officially added this public performance, which should accommodate any fan, new or old, who wishes to see this great work.”
Kentucky Opera’s subscription campaign has been extremely successful this season, almost filling the 1350 seat auditorium of the Brown Theatre for the first performance of Carmen. Director of Patron Services for Kentucky Opera, Carla Givan Motes, says, “We have sold 1507 subscriptions to date and are very close to our season goal of 1600 subscriptions.” In 2010 season, the organization sold 1360, which was a 25% increase over the 2009 season.
Kentucky Opera would also like to assure all tickets buyers that each performance of Carmen will have a live orchestra. An agreement should be reached this week with Local 11-637 of the American Federation of Musicians so that Kentucky Opera can begin contracting local orchestral musicians to perform for these services.
The Kentucky Arts Council, the state arts agency, supports Kentucky Opera
with state tax dollars and federal funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.
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