Connecticut Lyric Opera to Stage Mozart's Don Giovanni in Collaboration with Connecticut Virtuosi Orchestra
Lusty Misadventures of Don Juan to be Presented in New Britain, Hartford, and New London
Mozart's Don Giovanni, considered to be one of the greatest operatic works in the classical repertoire, will receive a gripping production by Connecticut Lyric Opera (CLO) in partnership with the Connecticut Virtuosi Orchestra. Under the music direction of Maestro Adrian Sylveen and stage direction of Giorgio Lalov, this lusty Don Juan story will tour the state with performances at three locations in central and southeast Connecticut. Don Giovanni will be a professional production featuring singers who have been seen at The Met, European opera houses, and beyond.
Connecticut Lyric Opera and Connecticut Virtuosi present Mozart’s epic opera of seduction and savagery! Don Giovanni is a charming libertine with a scandalous reputation to match. His already-length list of conquests is getting longer until he tries to force himself on an unsuspecting Donna Anna. Will the legendary Don Juan repent, or will he blaze a path to his own destruction in a single day? Don Giovanni features Mozart’s stunning lyricism, genius recitative, and unforgettable arias, all accompanied by the most opera-seasoned orchestra of the state, the accomplished Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra. In addition to artists who have performed at The Met and other major opera centers, the audience will be introduced to exciting discoveries from Virtuosi's Greve Opera Academy program in Italy.
The cast features Robert Garner as Don Giovanni, Nathan Resika as Leporello, Errin Duane Brooks as Don Ottavio, Jurate Svedaite as Donna Anna, Rebecca Almeida as Donna Elvira, Steven Fredericks as Commendatore, Jeremy Griffin as Masetto, and Stephanie Foster as Zerlina. The production will be under the music direction of Maestro Adrian Sylveen, stage direction by Giorgio Lalov of Teatro Lirico d'Europa, and Dara Blackstone acts as chorus master.
The opera will be performed in Italian with English super titles. Don Giovanni is sponsored by the American Savings Foundation, the Edward C. and Ann T. Roberts Foundation, the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development Office of the Arts, CT Humanities, Greater Hartford Arts Council, Tomz Corporation, Community Foundation of New Britain, Polish American Foundation of Connecticut, Farmington Bank Community Foundation, Trinity-on-Main, Carpineto Grandi Vini de Toscano, New Britain Herald, Bodenwein & Loomis Palmer Funds - Bank of America, Hoffman Fund, Moore Foundation, Parker Fund, and Sloper Fund.
About Connecticut Lyric Opera
Connecticut Lyric Opera (CLO) is the state’s leading opera company - performing to thousands across Connecticut in Hartford, Middletown, New Britain, and New London. CLO has earned a reputation as an innovative company that is renowned for its world-class singers, phenomenal concert-quality orchestra, and programming choices that go beyond the well-loved standards of the repertoire to include lesser-performed yet equally compelling works.
Last year, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) awarded CLO with a $50,000 grant as part of its Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act allocation. CLO is one of nine arts organizations in Connecticut, and one of only 27 opera companies nationwide, to receive this grant.
Together with its musical partner, the Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, CLO created the Greve Opera Academy and Music Festival in Italy (2015) and the Summer Opera Institute in Farmington. Singers from CLO's celebrated Young Artist Program have gone on to perform at the Metropolitan Opera, Royal Opera Covent Garden, Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin, the Salzburg Festival and other major companies. More information at ctlyricopera.org.
About Connecticut Virtuosi
Established in 1997, the Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra is Connecticut’s premier professional chamber orchestra, based in the Greater New Britain area, and dedicated to presenting both traditional and contemporary works to the public. As artists, the Virtuosi strive to be cultural leaders and teachers and to inspire our audiences to recognize the beauty and quality of classical music in any form.
The Orchestra, led by founder and artistic director Adrian Sylveen, currently presents approximately ten critically acclaimed concert and opera programs each season. Virtuosi also presents eight school concerts for the New Britain Department Education. Altogether, the group performs thirty times a season in New Britain, Hartford, New London, Middletown, New York, and Waterbury. Virtuosi also presented occasional concerts in Mystic, Meriden, New York City, and Pennsylvania. The organization consists of approximately 27 professional musicians representing many nationalities. Learn more at thevirtuosi.org
Adrian Sylveen, Artistic Director and Conductor, Adrian Sylveen enjoys a performing career in the United States and Europe. He serves as Artistic Director of the Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, Connecticut Lyric Opera, and the Classical Orchestra of Pila in Poland. An active soloist as well as conductor, he has performed concerts and recitals in Poland, Switzerland, Germany, former Soviet Union, and the United States. Sylveen graduated with distinction from the Paderewski Music Academy in Poznan, Poland, and holds Master and post-Master degrees from the Yale University School of Music. He is the recipient of prizes and awards from international competitions and has participated in several international festivals such as Weimar and Lancut. Maestro Sylveen has received several prestigious scholarships and awards, including the “Primus Inter Pares” Award given by the President of the Republic of Poland.
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