THE HAWTHORNE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PRESENTS
FIDELIO: A Concert Production
By Ludwig von Beethoven
Featuring Guest Soloists Alison Bolshoi (the “toast of Prague”), Metropolitan Opera Singer Adam Klein, Michael Blake O'Hearn, José Andrade and Sharla Nafziger—all of whom live in New Jersey!
WHEN: Sunday, February 20, at 3 PM
WHERE: The Berrie Center’s Sharp Theater at Ramapo College, 505 Ramapo Valley Rd., Mahwah
TICKETS: $15-20; Children under 17: $12.
Tickets to Fidelio are available through the box office, 201.684.7844 or www.ramapo.edu/berriecenter
Presenting Beethoven’s only opera, Fidelio, The Hawthorne Symphony Orchestra has secured the metropolitan area’s finest professional musicians and internationally recognized stars of opera. This is a rare opportunity to experience the best of opera at a very reasonable price.
The Hawthorne Symphony Orchestra is conducted and directed by John Minkoff, who studied composition and conducting with faculty from the Hochschule fur Musik in Berlin Germany and at Columbia University, while getting a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering. A research associate at Columbia University, member of the technical staff at the ATT Bell Telephone Labs, and Adjunct Professor of Applied Mathematics at New York University, he also holds a BS in music from The Juilliard School.
Dramatic soprano Alison Bolshoi sings the leading role of Leonore, who, disguised as Fidelio, rescues her husband from death in a political prison. Ms. Bolshoi has performed with The San Francisco Opera, La Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona, Huntsville Symphony, Alabama, the Accademia Pianistica in Italy, One World Symphony, NY, and the New Jersey State Opera at NJPAC.
Singing the part of Florestan, tenor Adam Klein began his opera career as a child at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. He returned to the Met as an adult, in lead roles in The Nose, Z Mrtveh O Domu, Hansel and Gretel, Jenufa, Pique Dame, Dialogues Des Carmelites, War and Peace, Mazeppa, Le Rossignol, and Salome. This year he made his debut as Tristan in Tristan und Isolde with Seattle Opera to rave reviews.
Atlanta native Michael Blake O’Hearn performs the part of Rocco. O’Hearn enjoys an active career performing on the regional stages of North America. Highlights of recent seasons include outings as the bass soloist in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony on Long Island, NY, Sarastro in Magic Flute and Don Pinto de Fonseca in Weber’s Die Drei Pintos with the Bronx Opera, Assur in Semiramide and Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor with West Side Opera, Dr. Dulcamara with Augusta Opera and Mercer University Opera Theater, Rocco with One World Symphony and Pooh Bah in the Mikado with Opera Carolina and Piedmont Opera.
Singing the role of Pizarro is baritone, José Andrade. Andrade earned a Masters in Music from the University of Memphis. He has performed the role of Holländer in Der Fliegende Holländer, and Wotan in Das Rheingold with the Wagner Theatre Program of New York. He also sang the Rheingold Wotan with New Jersey Baroque Opera. In 2006, Mr. Andrade made his Carnegie Hall debut as the baritone soloist in Fauré's Requiem.
Rounding out the leading roles, Sharla Nafziger plays Marzelline (Rocco's daughter), the coloratura soprano. Ms. Nafziger has been featured with the Houston, Huntsville, Vancouver and New Jersey Symphonies and the New York City Opera. She joined the New York City Opera in 2005 in the role of Corinna in Il Viaggio a Reims, and as Frasquia in Carmen and Juliette in Die Tote Stadt during the 2006-2007 season.
In addition, Edwin Santayana plays the role of Jaquino and Samuel Bolshoi is Don Fernando.
Working with world-renowned stage director Vera Calabria of the Metropolitan Opera, in her master class sponsored by the Wagner Program of New York, the cast has developed depth to the characters and vocal color essential to a successful concert opera.
