Utopia Opera Presents The US Premiere Of Arthur Sullivan's Oratorio THE MARTYR OF ANTIOCH

On Saturday, May 5, 2018 at 7pm, Utopia Opera closes its 7th season with the US premiere of The Martyr of Antioch, a dramatic oratorio with music by Arthur Sullivan and words adapted by the composer and W.S Gilbert, in concert with orchestra, organ, choir, and soloists at Rutgers Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, NYC. The leading soloists are Alexis Cregger, Adam Klein, Caroline Tye, & Duncan Hartman and Utopia founder William Remmers conducts. This performance marks the world premiere of the first-ever critical edition of the score, edited by Robin Gordon-Powell & Martin Wright. Tickets ranging from $20 - $100 are available online and at the door. Tickets are available online at: utopiasullivan.brownpapertickets.com

Never heard before fully in the United States, this 1880 oratorio demonstrates Arthur Sullivan's under-appreciated command of symphonic forces within a serious milieu, echoing the theatrical concert dramas of Hector Berlioz. Adapted from the poem by Henry Hart Milman, Martyr depicts the life and death of the titular St. Margaret of Antioch, torn between love and faith during during the tumultuous 3rd century A.D. The new critical edition of the full score and orchestra parts were published by the UK's The Amber Ring, whose previous editions of rare works by Sullivan continually spark renewed interest worldwide in the performance and recording of his serious works and lesser-known operas.

Founded in 2011, Utopia Opera has established itself as a young and vibrant addition to New York City's vast operatic landscape, and was recently featured on the cover of the August 2016 issue of Opera News.

Utopia aims to provide young singers with performance opportunities, share opera of all varieties with the public, and demonstrate the modern relevance of the art form. In recent seasons the company has performed works such as Douglas Moore's The Ballad of Baby Doe, Gioachino Rossini's L'italiana in Algeri, Friedrich Von Flotow's Martha, and Philip Glass's Hydrogen Jukebox. In November, Utopia Opera will present the New York premiere of Thea Musgrave's The Story of Harriet Tubman in celebration of the composer's 90th birthday. Giving our audiences a stake is the repertoire we perform is central to Utopia's mission. the company accomplishes this by allowing the public to vote on their annual repertoire through social media.

For more information, find Utopia on Facebook at facebook.com/utopiaopera or visit their website: utopiaopera.org