Opera Orchestra of NY Presents 'La Navarraise' & 'Cavalleria Rusticana,' 10/25

The Opera Orchestra of New York opens its 2010-11 season on Monday, October 25 at 7:30 pm at Carnegie Hall with a double-bill of Massenet's La Navarraise starring tenor Roberto Alagna, mezzo-soprano Elena Garanea, and bass Ildar Abdrazakov and Pietro Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana starring Mr. Alagna, soprano Maria Guleghina, and mezzo-sopranos Krysty Swann and Mignon Dunn, conducted by Music Director Designate Alberto Veronesi. The concert features many important debuts including the company premiere of La Navarraise and Cavalleria rusticana; Music Director Designate Alberto Veronesi's Carnegie Hall and company debuts; the company debuts of soloists Robert Alagna, El?na Garan?a, Maria Guleghina, and Mignon Dunn, who returns to the stage for the first time since performing in Elektra at the Metropolitan Opera in 1994; and the young artist debut of mezzo-soprano Krysty Swann, a former member of the Opera Orchestra's Young Artist Program.

Single tickets priced from $145 to $16 can be purchased online by visiting www.operaorchestrany.org or www.carnegiehall.org, or by calling the Opera Orchestra of New York's box office at 212-906-9137.

La Navarraise, a "French Verismo" opera, is Jules Massenet's answer to Pietro Mascagni's popular opera Cavalleria rusticana. The operas were commonly performed on a double-bill until the early 20th century, and both recount stories of jealousy and betrayal that end in tragedy. La Navarraise, inspired by Jules Claretie's short story "La cigarette," is a love story set during the Carlist War in Spain. Anita (Garan?a) must raise money for a dowry to marry Araquil (Alagna), and assassinates army leader Garrido for a monetary reward. When Araquil searches for Anita believing she is having an affair with Garrido, he is shot and killed while Anita looks on.

Cavalleria rusticana recounts the story of a calm SicilIan Easter morning, disrupted by tragedy when love-struck Santuzza (Guleghina) is forsaken by Turiddu (Alagna) who has rekindled his relationship with married Lola (Swann). A jilted Santuzza goes to Lola's husband to inform him of Lola's indiscretions, igniting his revenge.

The Opera Orchestra of New York's 2010-2011 season includes an opera-in-concert performance of Giacomo Meyerbeer's L'Africaine with tenor Marcello Giordani and Italian soprano Chiara Taigi in her U.S. debut, conducted by Music Director Eve Queler at Avery Fisher Hall March 2, 2011 and the company's annual Vidda Award recital featuring award recipient soprano Meagan Miller at Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Center on February 9, 2011.

Music Director Designate Alberto Veronesi, will become Music Director of the Opera Orchestra of New York beginning with the 2010-11 season. He is Music Director of the Puccini Festival at Torre del Lago, and as Artistic and Music Director at the Orchestra Sinfonica Siciliana in Palermo and the Filarmonica del Teatro Comunale di Bologna. Mr. Veronesi has done extensive research on the operatic repertoire of the late 19th to early 20th operatic repertoire by composers such as Pietro Mascagni, Ruggiero Leoncavallo and Giacomo Puccini, among others. Through his extensive research of the lesser known verismo repertoire and recordings as a Deutsche Grammophon artist, Maestro Veronesi has given these works a broader audience in the hopes of establishing new masterworks. Complete operas conducted by Mr. Veronesi and recorded for the DG label are Puccini's Edgar; Mascagni's L'amico Fritz, Leoncavallo's I Medici and Giordano's Fedora to be released in January 2011. His other albums for DG include Puccini Rediscovered, a collection of original editions and alternative versions of famous Puccini arias and ensembles and La Nuit de mai, an album of Leoncavallo songs and arias performed by Mr. Domingo, pianist Lang Lang and the Orchestra of Teatro Comunale di Bologna; and the first-ever commercial recording of starring Plácido Domingo.

The Opera Orchestra of New York has brought countless unconventional and rarely-heard programs to New York City since its inception in 1972. Under the direction of Founder and Music Director Eve Queler, the ensemble has presented numerous American premieres including Puccini's Edgar, Boito's Nerone, and Smetana's Libuse. In addition to unique programming, the Opera Orchestra of New York strives to cultivate emerging talent through its Young Artists Program. It is the only program in the New York metropolitan area that provides young singers with an opportunity to rehearse and perform with full orchestra and chorus. Renée Fleming, Aprile Millo, Stephen Costello and Michael Fabiano are among the many iconic singers who have been nurtured by this program. In May 2006, the Metropolitan Chapter of the Victorian Society in America awarded The Opera Orchestra of New York a Special Citation for 35 years of performing lesser-known 19th and early 20th century operas.

Single tickets priced from $145 to $16 can be purchased online by visiting www.operaorchestrany.org or www.carnegiehall.org, or by calling the Opera Orchestra of New York's box office at 212-906-9137.