THE PEARL FISHERS, THE SNOW QUEEN and More Set for Tulsa Opera's 2016-17 Season

Tulsa Opera announces a thrilling lineup of four productions for the 2016-2017 Season.

The season kicks off with a dazzling presentation of Georges Bizet's The Pearl Fishers on October 21 and 23, 2016. On February 25, 2017, Tulsa Opera presents a new one-night-only vocal spectacular, Puccini To Pop, followed by an international, star-studded production of Giacomo Puccini's Tosca on May 5 and 7, 2017. The season concludes with the American premiere of a family opera, Pierangelo Valtinoni's The Snow Queen, on June 17 and 18, 2017.

With the arrival of Tulsa Opera General Director and CEO Greg Weber on March 1, the company made the decision to delay its season announcement and quickly take stock of the desires of its audience. Weber engaged in a listening campaign among Tulsa Opera supporters, then launched a massive initiative to survey ticket buyers. The results of these efforts shaped the 2016-2017 Season.

"It has been several years since Tulsa Opera asked patrons what is important to them," said General Director and CEO Greg Weber. "I felt a need to re-connect with our audience. We created a simple survey, which we distributed by mail and email. I was overwhelmed by how many people completed the survey, and nearly every respondent included a personal note about the importance of opera in Tulsa.

Most importantly, the survey confirmed my belief that Tulsa is a sophisticated public which is passionate about its opera company. Three themes were clear in the results: high quality singers are of utmost importance; there is a hunger for traditional opera productions; and our patrons desire a Saturday night performance."

Armed with this information, Weber went to work to quickly put together a revamped season that would address as many of these needs as possible. Weber drew upon trusted connections from his years in the performing arts to access top international talent. With support from the Tulsa Opera staff and trusted colleagues, Tulsa held auditions in New York City to select exciting singers and conductors for his first full season.

"We were able to put together a season I believe will be a hit with our audience, giving them what they desire," said Weber. "Our casting emphasizes great voices. Tulsa Opera audiences will have the opportunity to hear singers who have already debuted in major opera houses and are well on their way to stardom. Tulsa Opera is known for presenting stars such as Joan Sutherland, Luciano Pavarotti, Beverly Sills and Samuel Ramey; more recently Joyce DiDonato debuted here at the beginning of her rise to stardom and Stephanie Blythe sang her first Carmen with Tulsa Opera. The 2016-2017 Season focuses on Tulsa's artistic legacy."

The season begins with a bold production of Georges Bizet's sublimely beautiful opera The Pearl Fishers. While Bizet is most often associated with Carmen, The Pearl Fishers contains some of the composer's most captivating arias, including the famous baritone-tenor duet "Au fond du temple saint" and rousing choral pieces. Soprano Sarah Shafer makes her company and role debut as the beguiling Hindu priestess Leila. Shafer, who is currently performing Adina in The Elixir of Love at Opera Philadelphia, has become a darling of the San Francisco Opera stage with a series of acclaimed performances, most recently for her role debut as Pamina in the Jun Kaneko production of The Magic Flute. Metropolitan Opera rising star, Chinese baritone Yunpeng Wang makes a company and role debut as Zurga. Wang was featured on the cover of the October 2015 issue of Opera News as one of "opera's exciting new voices." He has received great praise for a string of Met performances as a member of the Lindemann Young Artist Development program, including Prince Yamadori in the internationally broadcast live HD performance of Madame Butterfly. The production will be conducted by acclaimed French conductor, composer and pianist Fre?de?ric Chaslin. Chaslin currently serves as the Music Director of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra and has previously served as the Resident Conductor of the Vienna State Opera and Music Director and Chief Conductor at Santa Fe Opera.

Showcasing this exciting talent is one of the most visually sensational productions ever seen on the Tulsa stage, featuring sets and costumes by Dame Zandra Rhodes - the world famous fashion icon and designer, who has dressed the likes of Princess Diana, Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Elizabeth Taylor, Sarah Jessica Parker and Naomi Campbell. The vivid colors and bold patterns of Dame Zandra's production have received rave reviews and thrilled opera fans in San Francisco, New York and Seattle.

The Pearl Fishers will be presented in the Chapman Music Hall of the Tulsa Performing Arts Center with an Opening Night performance on October 21 at 7:30 p.m. and a Sunday Matinee on October 23 at 2:30 p.m. The opera will be sung in French with English translations projected above the stage.

Puccini To Pop is specifically designed to address Tulsa's core trio of desires: strong voices, great opera and a Saturday evening performance. This vocal spectacular is headlined by the glamorous and charismatic soprano Alyson Cambridge and the superbly versatile baritone Michael Todd Simpson. From The Metropolitan Opera to London's Royal Albert Hall, Cambridge has conquered the classical music stage in roles including Mimi in La boheme, the title role in Madame Butterfly, Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, Violetta in La traviata and Micae?la in Carmen. Cambridge is that rare singer who moves effortlessly from opera to Broadway to jazz and to pop. She's gained rave reviews for her portrayal of Julie in Showboat at Lyric Opera of Chicago, Washington National Opera and Dallas Opera and she was the first opera singer to perform on BET's Soul Train Music Awards. Cambridge's album of jazz, crossover and pop Until Now was released in January.

Simpson has established himself as one of the brightest young American baritones with recent standout performances as Escamillo in Carmen at Washington National Opera and Cecil in Seattle Opera's Mary Stuart. Simpson earned great praise for his sexually charged turn in the title role of Don Giovanni at Pittsburgh Opera and for a wide variety of roles including the title role in Eugene Onegin, Count Almaviva in The Marriage of Figaro, Zurga in The Pearl Fishers, and Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor. He has also become well known for his portrayal of Ravenal in Showboat, often appearing with Alyson Cambridge, including the recently released DVD oWf EtBhSIeTE:San Francisco Opera prAoDdDRuEScS:tion.

Anchoring the vocal power of this spectacular is internationally renowned superstar soprano, Leona Mitchell. The Grammy Award-winning Mitchell starred for two decades on the Metropolitan Opera stage, sang for U.S. presidents, and is considered one of the greatest sopranos of this age. She has brought audiences around the world a voice of articulated warmth, nobility and authority. A native of Oklahoma, the creamy and full- throated yet shimmering, velvety-voiced Mitchell has performed on every major opera stage and for the first time in 30 years will bring her acclaimed spinto soprano voice to Tulsa Opera.

Mitchell, Cambridge and Simpson will be supported by an orchestra under the baton of Grammy-nominated conductor James Lowe and an on stage back-up band in a dynamic visual production with a smashing program which will be announced in the coming months.

Puccini To Pop will be performed in the Chapman Music Hall of the Tulsa Performing Arts Center at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 25, 2017.

For its mainstage season finale, Tulsa Opera presents Puccini's Tosca, the opera most frequently requested in Tulsa's audience survey. Puccini's beloved masterpiece will be performed by an international all-star cast led by Russian soprano Evelina Dobrac?eva, hot on the heels of her American debut with Cincinnati Opera. Dobrac?eva has performed extensively with Cologne Opera, including her recent role debut as Odabella in Atilla, Micae?la in Carmen, Donna Anna in Don Giovanni and Violetta in La traviata. Other recent engagements include Emma in Khovanshina with the Bayerische Staatsoper, Tatiana in Eugene Onegin for Switzerland's Theater St. Gallen and Lisa in Queen of Spades at Moscow's Bolshoi Opera.

Finnish tenor Christian Juslin makes his American debut as Tosca's lover, the artist Mario Cavaradossi. Juslin got his start at Stockholm's Folkoperan as Alfredo in La traviata and went on to Macduff in Macbeth, Cavaradossi and Pinkerton in Madame Butterfly. He is a frequent guest of Finland's Savonlinna Opera, where he has appeared in Lohengrin, The Magic Flute and Boris Godunov, and Germany's Theater Bonn where he sang Cavaradossi, Florestan in Fidelio and Erik in The Flying Dutchman. American baritone, Weston Hurt makes his company debut as the evil Baron Scarpia, a role he recently debuted at Houston Grand Opera. Other engagements have included role debuts as Nabucco and Talbot in Mary Stuart with Seattle Opera and Germont in La traviata with New Orleans Opera. Making his American debut in the pit is brilliant, young Italian conductor and composer Francesco Cilluffo.

Tosca features classic opera scenic design by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle. Tosca will be presented in the Chapman Music Hall of the Tulsa Performing Arts Center with an Opening Night performance on May 5 at 7:30 p.m. and a Sunday Matinee on May 7 at 2:30 p.m. The opera will be sung in Italian with English translations projected above the stage.

New this season, Tulsa Opera presents the American premiere of Pierangelo Valtinoni's fairytale family opera The Snow Queen in a special season add-on production. The Snow Queen is based on the Hans Christian Andersen story of the same name, which notably is the basis for Disney's smash-hit Frozen. This is Valtinoni's second family opera, and both his Pinocchio and The Snow Queen have been successful in Europe, enjoying two-year sold out runs at Berlin's Komische Opera. The Snow Queen has also been a huge success in Hamburg, Dresden and Venice. Tulsa Opera achieved a major coup to present the American premiere of this wholly entertaining opera in an English translation commissioned specifically for Tulsa.

This presentation expands upon the successful annual productions by Tulsa Youth Opera, Tulsa Opera's music training program for students in grades 3-12, and will combine child soloists and choruses from this program with adults singing many of the principal roles. Tulsa Opera Studio, Tulsa Opera's young artist-in-residence program, will also participate in this production.

The Snow Queen will be performed in the Williams Theatre of the Tulsa Performing Arts Center with performances at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 17 and at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 18. The opera will be sung in English with English translations projected above the stage.

Current Tulsa Opera season ticket holders may now renew their subscriptions. New season tickets will be accepted beginning June 15, 2016; however, new subscribers may act now to be placed on the priority list for access to the best seats available once they go on sale to the public. Tickets to the American premiere of The Snow Queen are currently only available to season ticket holders as an add-on to the 2016-2017 Season. Season tickets range from $75-$297 and include all three mainstage shows. For additional information, visit www.tulsaopera.com or call 918.587.4811.

Founded in 1948, Tulsa Opera will celebrate its 69th Season of presenting grand opera to a five state regional audience. Tulsa Opera is the 16th oldest opera company in the United States and the oldest professional performing arts company in Oklahoma. Tulsa Opera is widely recognized as one of the Top 10 regional opera companies.

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