2017 Schwabacher Debut Recitals Continue April 9 with THE WOODS: A ROM-COM RECITAL

The 34th season of Schwabacher Debut Recitals continues on Sunday,April 9 at 5:30 p.m. in the Dianne and Tad Taube Atrium Theater with mezzo-soprano Renée Rapier, bass Anthony Reed and pianist and San Francisco Opera Head of Music Staff John Churchwell. They will present The Woods: A Rom-Com Recital, a series of songs by American composers compiled by Reed into a narrative with original dialogue. The performance will be directed by first-year San Francisco Opera Adler Fellow Aria Umezawa.

Utilizing works by Ned Rorem, Thomas Pasatieri, William Bolcom, Virgil Thomson, George Gershwin, Dominick Argento, Cy Coleman, Cole Porter, John Jacob Niles, Esther Cooper and Stephen Sondheim,The Woods is a love story and pastiche of American music. Reed, a third-year Adler Fellow, said: "I thought it would be interesting to turn the recital format on its head a bit. We've devised a recital filled with classic tunes and seldom-heard American gems, and loosely tied them together with an original script. The narrative really highlights the elements of love in each piece. This evening will be a great date night to bring that special someone to."

San Francisco Opera Center Director Sheri Greenawald said, "In the recital world where we have great artists creating backgrounds for major song cycles, the next logical step seems to me to be what Anthony has created for the recital: a story line to connect the disparate songs. The narrative will inevitably bring a new slant to the song, just as the song influences the narrative."

Renée Rapier (2010-11 Merola Opera Program; 2012-13 San Francisco Opera Adler Fellow) has appeared with San Francisco Opera in several works including Verdi's Rigoletto and Falstaff, Tobias Picker's Dolores Claiborne, Boito's Mefistofele and Bizet's Carmen. She recently appeared with Opera Parallèle as the Minskwoman in Jonathan Dove's Flight. Anthony Reed (2014 Merola Opera Program) is currently a third-year Adler Fellow who has performed numerous roles on the War Memorial Opera House stage, including The Speaker (The Magic Flute), Hans Schwarz (Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg), Doctor Primus in Getty's Usher House, Schmidt (Andrea Chénier) and The King of Egypt (Aida). This summer he will appear as Count Ceprano (Rigoletto) and next season will portray the Tutor of Orest (Elektra) and Doctor Grenville (La Traviata).

Since 1983, the Schwabacher Debut Recitals have introduced the artistry of many acclaimed interNational Singers including Anna Netrebko, Deborah Voigt, Susan Graham, Brian Asawa and Thomas Hampson. The annual series showcases exemplary artists who have participated in the prestigious training programs of the San Francisco Opera Center and Merola Opera Program, whose residencies offer intensive individual coaching and performance opportunities to young professional International Artists. The recitals allow Bay Area audiences to experience exciting young talents perform a wide-ranging and eclectic repertoire of song literature.

The Schwabacher Debut Recitals are endowed in perpetuity by the generosity of the late James Schwabacher and sponsored by the Jack H. Lund Charitable Trust. A celebrated Bay Area singer, recitalist, scholar and teacher, James Schwabacher was a co-founder of the Merola Opera Program.

Tickets & Information

All recitals take place at the Dianne and Tad Taube Atrium Theater, a state-of-the-art performance venue utilizing the Constellation® acoustic system from Berkeley-based Meyer Sound. The Taube Atrium Theater is part of San Francisco Opera's Diane B. Wilsey Center for Opera, located on the fourth floor of the Veterans Building (401 Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco).

Tickets (general seating) for the Schwabacher Debut Recitals are $30; a four-recital subscription is $100. Tickets may be purchased at the San Francisco Opera Box Office in person or by phone at (415) 864-3330, or online at sfopera.com (four-recital subscriptions available only in-person or by phone). Student rush tickets, subject to availability, are available for $15 at the Taube Atrium Theater 30 minutes prior to each recital (limit of two tickets per person; valid ID is required). Artists, programs, schedules and ticket prices are subject to change.

For artist biographies and more information about the 2017 Schwabacher Debut Recital Series, visitsfopera.com/schwabacher.