Atlanta Opera Closes Season With Puccini's TURANDOT, 4/29-5/7

The Atlanta Opera closes the 2016-17 season with the romance and spectacle of Puccini's final masterpiece, Turandot, the first opera performed in the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in 2007.

The Atlanta Opera presents Turandot on April 29, May 2, 5, and 7 at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. Single tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online at atlantaopera.org or by calling 404-881-8885. The opera will be performed in Italian with English supertitles.

The last opera Giacomo Puccini wrote follows Calaf, the son of an overthrown king, who falls in love at first sight with the beautiful but cold Princess Turandot. He enters into a contest for the Princess' love, which can result in death if he fails but her hand in marriage if he succeeds. When he solves the Princess' three riddles, Calaf shockingly proposes his own riddle to the Princess and puts his love and life back into the hands of Princess Turandot.

Turandot features arguably the most famous tenor aria of all time, "Nessun Dorma (None Shall Sleep)." It is in this aria that Calaf guarantees that he will win the Princess' heart.

"Puccini's composition demonstrates the vision he had for grand opera and musical mastery. The aria 'Nessun Dorma' itself will resonate with everyone who sees this incredible production," said Arthur Fagen, The Carl and Sally Gable Music Director for The Atlanta Opera and Conductor for Turandot.

Stage Director and Choreographer Renaud Doucet and Set and Costume Designer André Barbecreated this stunning production. This production features a cast and crew of over 200 people, including the principal cast, an adult chorus of 60, a children's chorus, dancers, supernumeraries, orchestra and stage crew. This will be one of the largest productions in The Atlanta Opera's history.

"We want our audiences to have a good time," said Doucet. "If somebody takes the effort to buy tickets, to dress up, to pay for the nanny, they don't do that to be miserable. They do that because they want to have a good night. So the minimum we can do is to put ourselves in their seat and think 'would I enjoy this?'"

American soprano Marcy Stonikas makes her debut with The Atlanta Opera as the cold-hearted Princess Turandot, a role she recently performed at Seattle Opera and Cincinnati Opera. As a graduate of Roosevelt University's Chicago College of Performing Arts, Oberlin College Conservatory of Music, and the Young Artist Program at Seattle Opera, Stonikas is a rising star. Stonikas was the First Prize winner in the Wagner Division of the 2013 Gerda Lissner Foundational Vocal Competition and a finalist in Seattle Opera's 2014 International Wagner Competition. Stonikas recently performed at the Berkshire Opera Festival in Ariadne auf Naxos as the title role, Gertrud in Seattle Opera's Hansel and Gretel, and Gerhilde in Die Walküre at Washington National Opera.

Internationally acclaimed tenor Gianluca Terranova, who made his Atlanta debut last season in La bohème, returns to Atlanta in the role of Calaf, the unknown prince. Born and raised in Rome, Italy, Terranova graduated with a degree in piano. He continued his studies in scores and developed his voice in Verona under the tutelage of Maria Cristina Ursula. In 2012, Terranova was nomination for a Helpmann Award as Best Male Performer in an opera for La Traviata. Terranova has performed at many international and national settings such as: Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto at Opera Australia, Rodolfo in La bohème at New National Theatre Tokyo, and Lt. B.F. Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly at the Dallas Opera.

American soprano Kelly Kaduce make her debut on the Atlanta stage as Liù, the lovesick slave girl. She blends her exceptional acting and rich voice to deliver a fluidity of drama and sound. Kaduce is a graduate of both St. Olaf College and Boston University. Kaduce was a winner of the 1999 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. Kaduce's impressive vocals has landed her the roles of Nedda in Pagliacci at Virginia Opera, Mimì in La bohème at Boston Lyric Opera, Anna Sørensen in Silent Night at Opera Philadelphia, and Cio-Cio-San in Madama Butterfly at West Australian Opera to name a few.

Running time is approximately 3 hours and there will be 2 intermissions.