St. Petersburg Opera Hosts Emerging Artists Spectacular June 4

St. Petersburg Opera's Emerging Artists, the apprentices chosen after national auditions to understudy the principal roles, will present a program of highlights from Puccini's La Boheme and Madama Butterfly on June 4, 2011 at the American Lithuanian Club, 4880 46th Ave. St. Petersburg. These apprentices, known as covers, will perform selections from the upcoming mainstage opera Madama Buitterfly and and with a piano accompaniment instead of the full orchestra.

SPO's Emerging Artist program is a training ground for singers who are at the beginning of a professional career and provides stage experience as well as intensive coaching, master classes, and the opportunity to rehearse with the orchestra. Covers learn all the music and staging and are prepared to step in should the principal singer be unable to perform. Emerging Artists include Douglas Denning, Philip Dvoracsek, Rimas Karnavicius, Vladislav Markov, Thomas Massey, Andrew Papas, Joseph Peterson, Chris Romeo, Dennis Ryan, Corinna Quilliam, Francisco Rendon and Heather Witt.

Stella Zambalis, renowned soprano and teacher, and Maestro Sforzini have been coaching the Emerging Artists in private and group sessions. Zambalis recently performed the title role in Tosca with Shreveport Opera and teaches at the Patel Conservatory. Maestro Mark Sforzini works with the Emerging Artists privately, in ensemble, and with the orchestra.

The highlights program will begin at 7:00 p.m. and lasts approximately two hours.
Tickets are available from the St. Petersburg Opera Box Office at 727-823-2040, and at the door. Tickets are priced at $15.