Wilmington Concert Opera to Present BEL CANTO: THE BEAUTIFUL VOICE

On May 19th at 8 PM and May 21 at 2 PM, Wilmington Concert Opera will present their "Bel Canto: The Beautiful Voice" Gala, as part of their "Back to Before" season. The season focuses on programs that were initially scheduled for the 2000 season, which was affected by the pandemic. The Bel Canto Gala celebrates with arias and ensembles by Bellini, Donizetti, Rossini, and Spontini. Tenor Clifford Bechtel and mezzo-soprano Paula Rivera-Dantagnan will make their mainstage WCO debuts. Returning musicians include soprani Kirsten C. Kunkle, Elizabeth Oliver, Marisa Robinson, Suzannah Waddington, mezzo-soprano Rebecca Sacks, tenor Brenten Megee, baritones John David Miles and Kevin Patrick, and pianist and music director Timothy Crawford.

The program is as follows:

"Largo al factotum" from Il barbiere di Siviglia - Rossini
"Dopo l'oscuro nembo" from Adelson e Salvini - Bellini
"Tornami a dir che m'ami" from Don Pasquale - Donizetti
"Una furtiva lagrima" from L'elisir d'amore - Donizetti
"Per piacere alla... No, mia vita" from Il turco in Italia - Rossini
"Casta diva" from Norma - Bellini
"Impitoyable Dieux" from La Vestale - Spontini
"Chi mi frena in tal momento" from Lucia di Lammermoor - Donizetti

INTERMISSION

"Duetto buffo di due gatti" - Rossini
"Bella siccome un angelo" from Don Pasquale - Donizetti
"Prendi, per me sei libero" from L'elisir d'amore - Donizetti
"Che smania, oi me!" from Otello - Rossini
"Si, fuggire: a noi non resta" from I Capuleti e I Montecchi - Bellini
"All'idea di quel metallo" from Il barbiere di Siviglia - Rossini
"O luce di quest'anima" from Linda di Chamounix - Donizetti
"Mira, o Norma" from Norma - Bellini
"Ah! mes amis" from La fille du regiment - Donizetti
"Figlia impura di Bolena" from Maria Stuarda - Donizetti

These concerts are free and open to the public. No tickets are necessary. The concert is family friendly.

Wilmington Concert Opera is pairing with Presbyterian Church of the Covenant this year as Artists in Residence through Arts at Covenant. Both concerts will be held at the sanctuary of Presbyterian Church of the Covenant, 503 Duncan Rd, Wilmington, DE 19809.

Poster Graphic Design by Jason Dick.

This program is supported, in part, by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency, in partnership with the National Endowment of the Arts. The Division promotes Delaware Arts Events on Delawarescene.com.