On Beethoven's 250th Birthday, Never Before Heard Third Act Aria In Opera Lafayette's Leonore

Opera Lafayette is proud to announce its 25th anniversary season featuring its most diverse lineup to date. This year's season of three operas to be performed in both New York City and Washington, DC, includes John Blow's Venus and Adonis, Ludwig van Beethoven's Leonore, and an adaptation of François André Danican Philidor's Le Maréchal Ferrant (The Blacksmith). Opera Lafayette is renowned for its performances of both lost masterworks, once popular and culturally significant to the history of the 17th through 19th centuries, and early opera that is already part of the modern canon. In addition to this memorable season, Opera Lafayette will mark its 25th anniversary by unveiling a brand new website along with a celebratory video on October 29.

Venus and Adonis will premiere on November 21 and November 23 in Washington, DC, returning to where Opera Lafayette began 25 years ago, which is now the Flagg Building at the Corcoran School of Art and Design at George Washington University (500 17th Street, NW) and in between those dates, on November 22, in New York City at El Museo del Barrio (1230 5th Avenue). Composed by John Blow and with a libretto by Anne Kingsmill Finch, Venus and Adonis is a French-inspired chamber opera that prefigured Purcell's Dido and Aeneas. Created for the English court, this ultimately tragic tale is interspersed with humorous scenes that poke fun at courtiers while extolling the virtues of shepherds and true love. This production features music direction by Thomas Dunford (returning for the second time to Opera Lafayette as guest music director) and choreography by Julia Bengtsson, making her debut with the company. The cast for Venus and Adonis includes Lea Desandre (mezzo-soprano), Douglas Williams (bass-baritone) and Sarah Shafer (soprano) as Cupid. Rounding out the ensemble is Véronique Filloux (soprano), Patrick Kilbride (tenor), Jonathan Woody (bass-baritone), and making his company debut Daniel Moody (countertenor), dancer Matthew Ting, and members of the Opera Lafayette Orchestra. Dance costumes are by Anna Kjellsdotter. The performances in the nation's capital are produced in collaboration with The Corcoran School of Arts and Design, Music Program of The George Washington University in Washington, DC.

Opera Lafayette will stage the centerpiece of its 25th anniversary season, Beethoven's Leonore on February 26 at The Eisenhower Theater at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC (2700 F Street NW) and again at The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College (695 Park Ave) in New York City on March 2. Leonore is Beethoven's first version of the opera that would later become Fidelio and follows Gaveaux and Bouilly's opera of the same name, which Opera Lafayette released on DVD earlier this year. Opera Lafayette's largest scale production to date, the story features themes relevant today, including a heroic woman and wrongful imprisonment. Founder and Artistic Director Ryan Brown will conduct these performances featuring the Opera Lafayette Orchestra and Chorus. The cast for Leonore includes Nathalie Paulin (soprano) in the title role; Jean-Michel Richer (tenor), Pascale Beaudin (soprano), Keven Geddes (tenor), and Alexandre Sylvestre (bass-baritone) reprising the roles of Florestan, Marcelline, Jaquino, and Don Fernando, respectively. German Norman Patzke (bass-baritone) makes his U.S. debut in the role of Pizarro, and Stephen Hegedus (bass-baritone) makes his Opera Lafayette debut as Rocco. Oriol Tomas stage directs this production with sets and costumes designed by Laurence Mongeau, and lighting by Rob Siler.

Rounding out the landmark season, Opera Lafayette will stage François André Danican Philidor's Le Maréchal Ferrant (The Blacksmith), on May 11 at The Kennedy Center Terrace Theater and at El Museo del Barrio in New York City on May 14. For this modern premiere, Opera Lafayette adapts the 18th-century French opéra comique to the late 19th century American west, complete with a hilarious translation from Stage Director Nick Olcott. Opéra comique originally contained French folksongs, and Brown has chosen for this production American folk songs from the Alan Lomax Collection, popular during the turn of the 19th century in America. Audiences may remember some of these songs like: "I Ride an Old Paint" and "Darlin' Cory." Opera Lafayette will rehearse The Blacksmith in residence in Mancos, CO where they will premiere this adaptation as part of the town's reopening of the Mancos Opera House on May 2. Laurent Deleuil (baritone) as Marcel, Frank Kelley (tenor) as Slim MacBride / Banjo, and Jack Swanson (tenor) as Cody will make their Opera Lafayette debuts. Véronique Filloux (soprano) as Jeannie, Pascale Beaudin (soprano) as Claudine, and Jonathan Woody (bass-baritone) as Eustis return to Opera Lafayette. Instrumentalists include Gary Cook, guitar/banjo, from the Bar D Wranglers makes his company debut, and Doug Baillet, contrabass, and Brown, violin return to Opera Lafayette. This production will feature scenic design by Lisa Schlenker, costume design by Marsha LeBoeuf, and lighting design by Keri Thibodeau.

For further information and to purchase tickets, please visit: https://operalafayette.secure.force.com/ticket.

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