Irish Tenor Anthony Kearns returns to Opera Naples by popular demand after wowing audiences as Romeo last season. Known as Ireland’s Finest Tenor, his performance in the role of Edgardo di Ravenswood will mark his official U.S. full-scale opera debut. His incredible agility and flexibility of voice, coupled with his tremendous vocal range and technique, lends itself equally well to opera, light classical, the standards and his beloved Irish music. Whether in the realm of the classics, or in the traditional music of his homeland, the power and clarity in his voice expresses great truth and rich conviction.

Georgian-American soprano, Lina Tetriani, received her Bachelor of Music degree from the Juilliard School and her Master of Music in Opera degree from the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia. She made her professional debut as Antonia Les Contes d’Hoffmann at Staatstheater Stuttgart, where Opernwelt hailed her as “one of Europe’s most exciting young talents.” Later, while a member of the ensemble at Oper der Stadt, Köln, Lina appeared as Micaela Carmen, Antonia, Mimi La Boheme, Donna Elvira Don Giovanni, Arminda La finta giardiniera, and sang a critically-acclaimed Nedda in Christopher Alden’s production of I Pagliacci. She spent the 2003/04 season in Stein Winge’s new production of La Boheme for Norwegian Opera, alternating in performances of Mimi
and Musetta.

Metropolitan Opera baritone, Gary Simpson, performed the title role in Der fliegende Holländer in Cape Town, South Africa in January, 2011. Last February, Mr. Simpson sang Iago in Otello with the Arizona Opera. Other past roles have included Iago (Minnesota Opera, Hawaii Opera Theater, The Otello Project and with the Opera Orchestra of New York), The Dutchman (Bucharest National Theater, Statni Opera, Manaus Opera Festival, Hawaii Opera Theater), and Donner in Das Rheingold with L’Opera Montreal.
Mr. Simpson has performed the roles of Rigoletto, Falstaff, Macbeth, Scarpia, Amonasro, Germont and Amfortas, which was featured in a live radio broadcast of Parsifal for Seattle Opera. He also performed the roles of Tonio and Alfio in the acclaimed Stephen Lawless production of Pagliacci/Cavalleria Rusticana with the Palm Beach Opera.
Mr. Simpson has sung Nabucco in Pretoria, South Africa, Sharpless with Baltimore Opera and Opera Omaha, Renato (Un Ballo in Maschera) with Palm Beach Opera and Virginia Opera, and St. Brie (Les Heugenots) with Opera Orchestra of New York. He is a graduate of North Carolina School of the Arts.

Luis Ledesma has established himself as an international singer with powerful, yet refined vocal and theatrical gifts. Born in Mexico City, his career advanced in Europe and in the United States (where he is now a citizen) after a young artist residency at The Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia and after winning several competitions, including the Pavarotti International Voice Competition and Julian Gayarre Competition in Spain.
Mr. Ledesma’s career already includes appearances in several international opera houses, including Teatro alla Scala, the Liceu in Barcelona, Wexford Festival, Teatro Municipal de Santiago, Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, Graz Oper, the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Savonlinna Opera Festival. In the United States, he has sung with Houston Grand Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Washington Opera, New York City Opera, Portland Opera, Palm Beach Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Minnesota Opera, Florentine Opera, and Hawaii Opera, as well as two tours with Andrea Bocelli, performing in Madison Square Garden, Hollywood Bowl, Hard Rock Café in Hollywood, Florida, and the Auditorio Nacional Mexico City.
This season, Mr. Ledesma appears in performances as Tonio in Pagliacci for Opera Lyra Ottawa, Germont in La Traviata for Syracuse Opera, a return to Michigan Opera Theater for both Tonio and Silvio in Pagliacci, performances of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with The Philadelphia Orchestra in June, and Rutter’s Mass for the Children and the Faure Requiem in Carnegie Hall.

Mezzo-soprano Misty Leah Bermudez has captivated critics and audiences alike with her “ravishing” voice and “compelling” concert performances. Residents of South Florida will recognize Ms. Bermudez as a founding and current member of the critically acclaimed vocal ensemble, Seraphic Fire. Concert engagements include performances with The Miami Oratorio Society, The Hollywood Philharmonic Orchestra, The Southwest Florida Symphony Orchestra, and The New World Symphony under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas. Ms. Bermudez has been featured in numerous operatic offerings throughout South Florida, including stagings of Purcell, Handel, Mozart, Donizetti, and Gilbert and Sullivan.
Ms. Bermudez’s solo engagements for the 2011-2012 concert season include Bach’s Magnificat with the Master Choral of South Florida and the Miami Symphony Orchestra, Handel’s Messiah with the San Antonio Symphony, and Bach’s Mass in B Minor with Seraphic Fire and the Firebird Chamber Orchestra.  Currently, Mrs. Bermudez resides in South Miami with her husband, guitarist and composer Alvaro Bermudez, and their two children. Ms. Bermudez graduated Magna Cum Laude from Florida International University with a Bachelor of Science in Music Education and holds a Master of Music Degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Miami.

Originally from Buffalo, NY, baritone Evan Thomas Jones has sung a wide variety of roles in opera, most notably both Mozart and Rossini’s Figaro, Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, Raimbaud in Le Comte Ory and Sam in Trouble in Tahiti. In concert he has been featured as the baritone soloist in Fauré’s Requiem, Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis, Bach’s Magnificat and John Rutter’s Mass for the Children. He is particularly in demand as an interpreter of the concert repertoire of Ralph Vaughn Williams. Mr. Jones has sung with the Berkshire Opera Company, Compañía Lírica Nacional de Costa Rica, Eastman Opera Theater, Mercury Opera, Florida State Opera, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Helena Symphony, Finger Lakes Choral Festival and the Augusta Choral Society.
Mr. Jones is also active in the performance of new works. In 2009, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus released the world premiere recording of Randol Bass’ Passage Into Spirit on which Mr. Jones was the featured soloist. In the fall of 2010, Mr. Jones created the role of Roger Clinton in the world premiere performance of a new opera entitled Billy Blythe in Little Rock, Arkansas. He will be reprising the role in the premiere recording as well.
His 2011-2012 season, along with his performance in Opera Naples’ Faust, will feature debuts with Opera Memphis as Frank in Die Fledermaus, and with the Memphis Masterworks Chorale as the Bass Soloist in Haydn’s Creation.

Melissa Vitrella moved to Naples in August, 2010 to be the Opera Naples Artist-in-Residence. She was most recently seen as the Gingerbread Witch in Hansel and Gretel, Mercedes in Carmen, Alisa in Lucia di Lammermoor, Jo in Mark Adamo’s Little Women, Third Lady in The Magic Flute, Flora in La Traviata, and the mezzo-soprano soloist at the Ave Maria performance of Verdi’s Requiem. This May, she will sing the role of Fillipyevna in Eugene Onegin. Melissa received her Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance at Stetson University, where she was a Concerto Competition winner. She then did her graduate studies at Florida State University, where she held a graduate teaching assistantship. Melissa is a soloist at Naples United Church of Christ, a singer with the Naples Carolers, and a private voice instructor.

Rosa Mercedes, born in Barcelona, Spain, was trained in Flamenco, Escuela Bolera, Classical Spanish and Regional Dance by many of Spain’s great dance masters. Her training includes ballet, jazz and modern dance. She has developed a style that combines the power and fire of Flamenco with a lyricism and line rarely seen in Spanish dance. As a soloist and principal dancer, she has received great critical acclaim performing throughout the United States, Europe, South America and Canada with companies including Maria Benitez Teatro Flamenco, Compañía Flamenca de Carmen Cortes, Ballet Español de Lucia Real y El Camborio, Ballet Español de Madrid, Zorongo Flamenco Dance Theatre and Ballet Español Rosita Segovia. She has also acted as rehearsal director and choreographer with the companies of both Maria Benitez and Rosita Segovia. Ms. Mercedes is in much demand for her innovative choreography, which has been featured by dance companies, symphony orchestras and dance festivals throughout the United States. In opera, her work has been featured by the Metropolitan Opera, Opera di Roma, Baltimore Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Dallas Opera and Florida Grand Opera, and with Opera Naples in our productions of Il Trovatore in 2010 and Carmen in 2011.

Maestro Paul Nadler has distinguished himself as one of the world’s most exciting and respected symphonic and operatic conductors. Since his debut in 1989 he has led over 60 performances at the Metropolitan Opera, conducting stars such as Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, Karita Mattila, Bryn Terfel, Anna Netrebko, Renée Fleming, Ramon Vargas and Ben Heppner. In concert he has collaborated with renowned soloists such as Garrick Ohlsson, Emmanuel Ax, Misha Dichter, Elmar Olivera, and Glenn Dicterow.

Maestro Nadler is Music Director Emeritus of the Southwest Florida Symphony Orchestra and Principal Guest Conductor of the Filarmonica de Stat Iasi (Romania). He also was chosen to lead performances of the Met’s National Council Competition.

Operatic credits include performances with Indianapolis Opera, Utah Opera, Calgary Opera, Florentine Opera, Minnesota Opera, Syracuse Opera, and Orlando Opera and Glimmerglass Opera. Internationally, Paul has conducted the Hong Kong Opera, as well as engagements in Plovdiv, Varna, and Russe (Bulgaria). In December 2002, Maestro Nadler conducted at the Kennedy Center Awards ceremony in honor of his colleague James Levine.

Opera News calls Jeffrey Marc Buchman “a formidable talent”. Following his recent success directing the Nicaraguan premier of Madama Butterfly for the National Theatre in Managua, Mr. Buchman returned this season to direct La Boheme.  Also this season, he directs Hansel & Gretel for Sarasota Opera and L’elisir D’Amore for Toledo Opera. He will direct Tosca for Mobile Opera in 2011 and an outdoor arena Aida in 2012 for a return to Nicaragua.

To his directing, he brings a wealth of experience as a performer whose operatic singing career was launched after winning the prestigious Luciano Pavarotti International Voice Competition. He has performed leading roles with Hong Kong Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Virginia Opera, Utah Opera, Tulsa Opera, Central City Opera, Opera International, Phoenix Metropolitan Opera, Baltimore Opera, Fresno Grand Opera, Washington Summer Opera, Opera Delaware and Opera Carolina, as well as performances at New York's Carnegie Hall and Avery Fischer Hall at Lincoln Center. 

FAUST CONCEPT NOTES

Opera Naples and its artistic identity continue to evolve and mature with this new production of Charles Gounod’s Faust.

To date, all of Opera Naples’ productions have been presented as literal interpretations of the opera. A house is a house, or a garden scene takes place in a garden. Faust will be a departure from that presentation style, and will rely on impressionistic imagery that evokes the scene primarily through lighting effects and representational set pieces. You will see how the implications of Faust’s decisions change the atmosphere of the setting, especially when the dominance of Méphistophélès begins to emerge and overwhelm him.

This type of conceptualized production places the focus most squarely on the dramatic interaction of the characters, and the atmosphere provided by Gounod’s magnificent score. In a sense, you are being transported into the psyche of Faust, as he struggles with the eternal question of good versus evil.

Faust is an opera that lends itself particularly well to this style of presentation and creates an other-worldliness for your imagination to consider. The story is an allegory that features fable imagery and magical illusions. For that reason we have chosen the Middle Ages as the setting. Many other reinterpretations of this opera have received great acclaim, including the recent production at The Metropolitan Opera, which set the piece in a pre-nuclear 20th century.

We hope you enjoy this new and exciting presentation, and we welcome your feedback!