Washington Concert Opera to Take on Strauss' First Opera GUNTRAM, 3/1

Having completed their presentation of Bellini's I Capuleti e i Montecchi in September, Washington Concert Opera gears up for its second performance of the season, the rarely performed opera, Guntram, by Richard Strauss. In his 13th season with Washington Concert Opera, Artistic Director and Conductor, Maestro Antony Walker, takes the stage for this highly ambitious presentation. The performance will be presented March 1, 2015 at 6pm on the Lisner Stage at George Washington University.

Guntram, Strauss' first opera, follows in the footsteps of his extremely evocative tone poems and foreshadows many later works including Arabella, Daphne and Die frau ohne schatten. Critically acclaimed heldentenor, Robert Dean Smith, sings the title role, while celebrated soprano Marjorie Owens sings Freihild, and Tom Fox joins her as the Duke. This presentation of Guntram is only the second ever offered in the United States.

This will be tenor Robert Dean Smith's Washington, DC debut. American born, Smith resides in Switzerland and performs more commonly in Europe. He made his debut at the Bayreuth Festival in 1997 as Walter von Stolzing in Die Meistersinger von Nu?rnberg. He studied at Pittsburg State University (Kansas) with Margaret Thuenemann, Juilliard School in New York City with Daniel Ferro, and with Professor Janice Harper in Europe. His Arte Nova recording of Wagner scenes was awarded the Orphe?e d'Or by the Acade?mie du Disque Lyrique. His role in Guntram is particularly challenging, demanding on-stage presence for the majority of the opera.

Soprano Marjorie Owens is a member of the Ensemble of the Sa?chsische Staatsoper in Dresden and a Grand Finals Winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, she has been dubbed one of the most exciting young dramatic sopranos performing today by critics across the globe. In addition to her role as Freihild, this season Ms. Owens appears with her home company in Dresden as Senta in Der fliegende Holla?nder, Elisabeth in Tannha?user, Mimi in La Bohe?me, Ariadne in Ariadne auf Naxos, Dorotka in S?vanda Duda?k, and Liu? in Turandot. Future performances include a debut with the Metropolitan Opera.

Baritone Tom Fox, highly regarded as an interpreter of Wagner, performs regularly around the world. Fox has a vast repertoire of roles including Amonasro in Aida, Escamillo in Carmen, Don Pizarro in Fidelio, Scarpia in Tosca, Iago in Otello, Thoas in Iphige?nie en Tauride, Ford in Falstaff, among many others.

Tickets range from $15-$110 for a single performance. For tickets, visit www.concertopera.org or call the box office at (202) 364-5826. For more about the production, visit www.concertopera.org/index.php/current_season/about_opera/guntram.

Artistic Director Bio - Since making his professional conducting debut in Sydney, Australia, Antony Walker, Artistic Director and Conductor of Washington Concert Opera as well as Music Director of Pittsburgh Opera, has conducted over 200 operas, large and smaller scale choral/orchestral works, and symphonic and chamber works with companies in Europe, the United States and Australia. He has also recorded numerous works ranging from Monteverdi to Mahler in CD and DVD formats on the ABC Classics label. Along with Washington Concert Opera's presentation of Guntram, Walker will be conducting from the orchestra pit Dialogues of the Carmelites for Washington National Opera starting in late February.

Washington Concert Opera (WCO) is a professional concert opera company offering internationally acclaimed singers, professional orchestra and chorus in concert versions of rarely heard, full-length operatic works. Founded in 1986, WCO has presented more than 50 operas, featuring world-class singers who regularly appear on the most renowned opera house stages. WCO strives to provide audiences with a unique musical experience and has repeatedly and consistently been acclaimed in the local, national, and international press as one of the finest in the field.

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