Artist Information

Ewa Podleś, Tancredi

Opera Boston debut

Widely considered the world's foremost contralto, Warsaw’s Ewa Podleś’ engagements include the Seattle Opera (Cesare, Adalgisa in Norma and Erda in the Ring); San Diego Opera (Cesare); San Francisco Opera (Principessa in Suor Angelica), Canadian Opera Company  (Cesare, Jocasta in Oedipus Rex, Klytamnestra in Elektra and Tancredi); Houston Grand Opera (Ulrica in Ballo in Maschera and the Marquise in La fille du Régiment); San Diego Opera (Cesare), Dallas Opera (Bertarido in Rodelinda and Erda); Milwaukee’s Florentine Opera (Azucena in Il Trovatore), Michigan Opera Theatre (Ulrica) and Minnesota Opera (Malcolm in La donna del lago).  In fall 2008 she returned to the Met as La Cieca in La Gioconda.  In Carnegie Hall she sang Gluck’s Orphée, Ulrica and baroque and Rossini programs with the Moscow Chamber Orchestra.  She has been heard at the Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin and Deutsche Oper Berlin; Frankfurt Alte Oper; Gran Teatre del Liceu; Teatro Bellini; La Scala; La Fenice; Teatro San Carlo; Warsaw’s National Theatre; Paris’ Théâtre Châtelet and Opéra Bastille. She has been guest soloist with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra; San Francisco, Montreal, Seattle, American, Pittsburgh, Toronto, NHK, New World and Detroit Symphonies; Philadelphia, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino and National Arts Centre Orchestras; National Orchestra of Spain; Hong Kong and Dresden Philharmonics.  She has also appeared on the major art-song series of Cleveland, Atlanta, Vancouver, Philadelphia, St. Paul, Chicago, Paris, Amsterdam, London, Toronto, Moscow, Warsaw, Montreal, San Juan, Québec and New York.  Her collaborations with Marc Minkowski and Les Musiciens du Louvre include two Deutsche Grammophon recordings: Handel’s Ariodante and Gluck’s Armide.  Other releases include two Delos recordings: Handel Arias and Russian Arias and three acclaimed recordings with pianist Garrick Ohlsson, the latest of which was recorded “live” at London’s Wigmore Hall. Mme. Podleś vocal study was with Alina Bolechowska at Warsaw's Chopin Music Academy. Awards include top prizes at Moscow's prestigious Tchaikowsky Competition.

Website

Amanda Forsythe, Amenaide

Previously with Opera Boston: The Angel, Angels in America (2006); Iris, Semele (2008)

In August 2007, Ms. Forsythe made her European début, singing Corinna in “Il Viaggio a Reims” at the Rossini Festival in Pesaro. Following her success in Pesaro, she was immediately engaged at the Grand Théâtre de Genève as Dalinda in Handel’s Ariodante.   She reprised this role in January 2008 at the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich. She returned to Pesaro in 2008 as Rosalia in Rossini’s L’Equivoco Stravagante, and also performed in concert with mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato in duets from Bellini’s I Capuleti e i Montecchi.  Equally adept at contemporary music, Ms. Forsythe created the role of Young Margarita/Nuria in Osvaldo Golijov's Ainadamar, a role which she later reprised at The Los Angeles Philharmonic at Walt Disney Hall.  Recent and upcoming performances include: Handel’s L’Allegro, Il Penseroso, ed il Moderato with The Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, Steffani’s Niobe (Manto) at The Royal Opera House/Covent Garden, Le Nozze di Figaro (Barbarina) at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Xerxes (Atalanta) with Boston Baroque,  Blow’s Venus and Adonis (Venus) with The Boston Early Music Festival, The Brahms Requiem with Hartford Symphony, 1610 Vespers with Boston Baroque and Dayton Philharmonic, Handel’s Messiah with the Baltimore and Alabama symphonies as well as Boston Baroque and Apollo’s Fire, and Mozart’s Exultate Jubilate and Mahler's 4th Symphony with L’Orquesta Sinfonica de Tenerife.  She can be heard as Minerve and La Grande Pretresse on The Boston Early Music Festival’s premiere recording of Lully’s Thésée. Ms. Forsythe has received prizes from the Liederkranz Foundation and the Walter W. Naumburg Foundation.  She has been a winner of the George London Foundation Awards, and was recently sponsored by them in her New York recital début.

Website

Yeghishe Manucharyan, Argirio

Previously with Opera Boston: Nadir, The Pearl Fishers, 2007; Ivan the Lackey, The Nose (2009)

Mr. Manucharyan began the 2008–2009 season with La Bohème for Tulsa Opera. Recent engagements include:  Covering roles in Iphigenie, La Traviata, and La Sonnambula (2008-2009) and Armida (2009-2010) at the Metropolitan Opera and singing: Rodrigo in Rossini’s La Donna del Lago with Minnesota Opera, Riccardo in Donizetti's Maria di Rohan at the Wexford Festival, Rodolfo in La Bohème in Salerno, Gerald in Lakmé with the Opera Orchestra of New York at Carnegie Hall, Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni at the New York City Opera, and Argirio in Rossini’s Tancredi at the Caramoor Festival.  Other highlights include: Lenski in Eugene Onegin and Alfredo in La Traviata at Tulsa Opera, Count Almaviva in Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia with Toledo Opera, the Duke in Rigoletto, Tamino in Die Zauberflöte at the Baltimore Opera, Rodolfo in La Bohème with the Orquesta Sinfónica del Estado de Mexico, Saro in Tigranian’s Anoush at the Michigan Opera Theater, and Potoski in the world premiere of Donizetti’s Élisabeth at the Caramoor International Music Festival. Mr. Manucharyan will cover Concert performances include: Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis with the New York Choral Society at Carnegie Hall and with the Eugene Symphony, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, and Lukas Foss’s Griffelkin with the Boston Modern Orchestra Project.

Website

DongWon Kim, Orbazzano

Opera Boston debut

DongWon Kim has performed extensively in Italy, as well as his native Korea. From 2003 to 2006, he was a member of the National Opera of Korea, where he sang such roles as Germont in La Traviata, Figaro in Il Barbiere di Seville, Rigoletto in Rigoletto, Marcello in La Boheme. Ping in Turandot, Escamillo in Carmen, Belcore in L'esire d'amore, and Amonasro in Aida. Mr. Kim made his European debut in 1998 as Valentine in Faust conducted by Maestro Peter Maag at the Treviso Teatro. Subsequent performances in Italy included the Teatro Regio in Parma, the Teatro Rosetum in Milan, and the Teatro Tortona.  In terms of concert work, Mr. Kim has appeared as soloist with the Shanghai Symphony, Orchestra, the Euro-Asian Philharmonic, and the KBS Symphony Orchestra. Among his numerous awards are first prizes in the "Toti Dal Monte" International Competition and the "Daeung Lee" National Competition. Additionally, DongWon is the recipient of scholarships to study with Renata Scotto at the Teatro Regio in Parma, and with Virginia Zeani at the Bussetto Academia.  Beyond his performing career, Mr. Kim is an accomplished teacher, having taught voice at Seoul National University and HanYang University in Korea.  Mr. Kim holds an undergraduate degree from HanYang University in Seoul and a Diploma from the Verdi Conservatory of Music in Milan. In 2009, he relocated to Boston where he is pursuing an Artist Diploma in Opera at the New England Conservatory, studying with Lorraine Nubar.

Victoria Avetisyan, Isaura

Previously with Opera Boston: Vera Boronel, The Consul (2005); Venerable Old Lady, The Nose (2009)

In her Kennedy Center debut, Miss Avetisyan was honored with Caramoor's Young Vocal Artist of the Year award for her performance of the title role in Gluck's Orfeo ed Eurydice.  A native of Yerevan, Armenia, Avetisyan completed her academic training at the Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory in Yerevan, Armenia, graduating with the master's degree. She began her singing career as a principal artist at the National Opera Theater of Armenia, where she sang numerous roles including Paranzem in Choukhajian's  Arshak II ,Cenerentola and Rosina in Rossini's operas Cenerentola and Il Barbiere Di Siviglia.  Recent engagements have included her debut appearance with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra as alto soloist in Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 and Handel's Messiah; as soloist in Beethoven's Missa Solemnis,Zoltan Kodaly's Te Deum and Croation Mass by Igor Kuljerik (US premiere) with the Eugene Concert Choir; Mozart's Requiem and Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with Boston Landmarks Orchestra, and Dvorak's Stabat Mater with Masterworks Chorale. Ms. Avetisyan's other operatic roles include: Carmen in Bizet's  Carmen;  Fenema in Verdi's Nabucco; Armelinde in Viardot's La Cendrillon  Zita in Puccini's Gianni Schicchi; Marcellina in Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro, and Ursula in Béatrice et Bénédict by Hector Berlioz. A recipient of numerous distinctions, Victoria Avetisyan is the winner of the Andrew & Anne Pinto Award at Connecticut's Opera Guild Scholarship Competition. Ms Avetisyan is also the Second Prize winner at the 2002 Liederkranz Vocal Competition, the Second Prize winner of the 2002 Queens Opera Vocal Competition - Second Prize, and was a regional (New England) finalist at The Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.  In 2008, Ms. Avetisyan was presented the key to the City of Worcester by the Honorable mayor K. B. Lukes.  Her Radio and Television appearances include Armenian national Television, Armenian national Radio and WGBH.

Website

Glorivy Arroyo, Roggiero

Emerging American mezzo-soprano Glorivy Arroyo is quickly garnering attention for her extraordinary musicality and engaging stage presence. Ms. Arroyo is a frequent performer with Opera Boston, most recently performing the role of Anna in Kurt Weill's Seven Deadly Sins with Opera Boston Underground. Recent engagements include her title role debut as Angelina in La cenerentola with Opera del West, the role of Sorceress in Dido and Aeneas with Metrowest Opera, and a critically acclaimed tour of Rossini in concert, as Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia. After her successful performances in Die Zauberflöte and Roméo et Juliette with Opera New Jersey, she was asked to sing the role of Ruth in their touring production of The Pirates of Penzance during their 2007-2008 season. With Utah Opera, she debuted The Grapes of Wrath selections in concert and sang the role of Lolette in La Rondine with Metropolitan Opera director Michael Scarola, under the baton of Keith Lockhart. In 2007, Ms. Arroyo joined the Grammy-winning cast of Golijov's Ainadamar at Opera Boston, under the direction of Peter Sellars. Upcoming performances include Dorabella in Così fan tutte with Commonwealth Opera. Ms. Arroyo can be heard on Boston Modern Orchestra Project's world premiere recording of Foss’ Griffelkin, released on the Chandos label.

Gil Rose, Conductor

Music Director for Opera Boston

Read full biography

Website

Kristine McIntyre, Director

Opera Boston debut

Since her directorial debut in 1994, Kristine McIntyre has staged numerous opera, theater and dance works, and she has assisted in the direction of scores of productions principally in the United States. Ms. McIntyre has worked with The Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Portland Opera, Dallas Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Wolf Trap Opera, Arizona Opera, Kentucky Opera, Madison Opera, Skylight Opera Theatre, Pittsburgh Opera Center, Long Beach Opera, and Sugar Creek Symphony & Song.  Future directorial assignments and debuts include projects with Tulsa Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, Austin Lyric Opera and Kentucky Opera.  Noted for her great imagination, incisiveness, and skill, Ms. McIntyre is particularly recognized for her ability to translate concepts and make them readable to her audiences. Ms. McIntyre has directed many new productions including the world premiere of John Brown, Jake Heggie’s acclaimed opera The End of the Affair, Verdi’s first comedy, Un Giorno di Regno, an American Hansel and Gretel, Iolanthe, The Mikado and Patience, Dialogues of the Carmelites, Nicolai’s The Merry Wives of Windsor, La Cenerentola, Il Ritorno D’Ulisse in Patria, La Clemenza di Tito, Viva La Mamma, and Turn of the Screw. Recent projects for Ms. McIntyre include Lucia di Lammermoor, La Traviata, Beatrice et Bénèdict, a reprise of Il Ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria, Ruddigore, and a highly acclaimed new production of John Dove’s Flight. Recent company debuts include Arizona Opera in Lucia di Lammermoor, Kentucky Opera in Werther, and Madison Opera in Cosi fan Tutte followed by a return to The Metropolitan Opera for tours and revivals (La Traviata/Luisa Miller). Upcoming projects in the 2009-2010 season comprise a new production of A Little Night Music for Mock’s Crest, Rigoletto for Tulsa Opera and Le Nozze di Figaro for Pittsburgh Opera.

Website

Carol Bailey, Scenic & Costume Designer

Opera Boston debut

Carol Bailey, set and costume designer, has collaborated with Kristine McIntyre on seven productions.  Her designs for scenery and costumes have been commissioned by various opera companies including: Chicago Opera Theater, Chicago IL; Spoleto USA Festival in Charleston, SC, The Royal Danish Opera, Copenhagen; New York City Opera; Glimmerglass Opera, Cooperstown NY; Opera Zuid, Maastricht; the Netherlands; San Francisco Opera Center; Pittsburgh Opera Center; Skylight Opera Theater, Milwaukee, WI; Wolf Trap Opera, Vienna VA; Long Beach Opera, Long Beach CA and Gotham Chamber Opera, The Julliard School,  L'Opèra Français de New York, and American Opera Projects, all in New York City. She also has designed for theater and dance including: The Foundry Theater, Target Margin Theater, Ma Yi Theater, Ontological Theater, all in New York City; the Atlantic Theater in Atlanta, GA, Jacobs Pillow Dance Festival in MA and Muffathalle in Munich, Germany.   She was the recipient of the TCG/NEA Design Fellowship in 2000; exhibited in the World Stage Design 2005 Competition, and has sculpture in the permanent collection of the Nordenfjeldske Kunstindrstrimuseet, Trondheim, Norway. Ms. Bailey holds MFA degrees from New York University in design for the theater and the University of Pennsylvania in sculpture.