2008-2009
Season Opener:
Italian Summer
One World Symphony
Sung Jin Hong, Artistic Director and Conductor
Emanouil Manolov, Violin
One World Symphony Vocal Artists
Ottorino Respighi: Pines of Rome (1924)
Antonio Vivaldi:
Concerto in G minor for Violin, Strings, Continuo,
"Summer" from The Four Seasons
Pietro Mascagni: Cavalleria Rusticana
Friday, September 5, 2008
St. Ann and the Holy Trinity
Brooklyn Heights
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Ansche Chesed Synagogue
Manhattan
Extend your summer experience by joining One World Symphony's fiery season opener Italian Summer. Evoking thunderstorms and "fired up by the Sun," Vivaldi's "Summer Concerto" from The Four Seasons is among the boldest program music of the 18th century. The Four Seasons was written to accompany four sonnets which depict each season sensitively. Respighi's innovative symphonic poem Pines of Rome (1924), brimming with technicolor orchestration and lush pictorial effects, has been greeted by audiences with overwhelming popularity and ecstatic approval since its American premiere by Toscanini. Mascagni's tempestuous drama of forbidden desire and revenge, Cavalleria Rusticana, sparked the verismo style (realism), exploring not only the contemporary everyday life but also its earthy passions and psychological underpinnings and confrontational scenes. Is it worth fulfilling one's desires at the expense of others?
Sung Jin Hong is the artistic director, composer, and conductor of One World Symphony. Mr. Hong has guest conducted in Europe, such as Stadt Wien Konservatorium Orchester in Vienna, Austria, Lyrique-en-mer Festival in Brittany, France, and The Royal Northern Conservatory of Music in Manchester, UK. In the U.S, he has guest conducted the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra, Tulsa Ballet Company, Manhattan School of Music Symphony, Mannes Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony Youth Symphony, Bard College Orchestra, Illinois Wesleyan New Music Players, Western Illinois University Cello Choir, Bradley University Wind Ensemble, Great Music For A Great City at CUNY, Wayne State University Symphony, the Prospect Chamber Players, Twin Cities Ballet Company, and Take Dance Company. Mr. Hong has held positions as Music Director and Conductor of Peoria Sinfonietta and Principal Conductor of IES Singerverein in Vienna. He has also collaborated with musicians from the MET Orchestra, New York Philharmonic and Berlin Philharmonic as a conductor. Highlights for the upcoming season include leading One World Symphony's new season as its artistic director and conductor and guest engagements conducting The Tulsa Ballet, Tulsa Symphony, Fiery World Music Orchestra in Los Angeles, The Gandharvas, and his debut in Dallas conducting musicians from Dallas Symphony Orchestra. He has also conducted and recorded world premieres for the world's leading classical record label Naxos. Mr. Hong had the great honor of being personal chosen by the New York Philharmonic Laureate Conductor Kurt Masur to conduct in masterclasses and a concert in New York.
Emanouil Manolov has been concertmaster of One World Symphony the last four seasons. He returns as a soloist in Vivaldi's "Summer Concerto" from The Four Seasons after his recent performances with One World in Beethoven's Violin Concerto and as Lex Luthor in Michael Daugherty's Metropolis Symphony. Since his debut at age 10 on Bulgarian National Television, Mr. Manolov has gone on to concertize widely throughout his native Bulgaria, Germany and the United States. Recital appearances have included the Kennedy Center, the Library of Congress and the National Museum of American History in Washington, DC. As a chamber musician Mr. Manolov has performed at Barge Music in New York, and was the concertmaster and soloist for the Young Soloists of New York on the stages of the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie and Symphony Space. He has been featured soloist with the Virginia Commonwealth Symphony and a guest artist at the Bowdoin Summer Music Festival in Brunswick, Maine. As a chamber musician, Mr. Manolov has collaborated with Colin Carr, Ani Kavafian and members of the Emerson Quartet and the Berlin Philharmonic. He is currently in the Doctorate program at SUNY Stony Brook, where he works under the supervision of Pamela Frank, Ani Kavafian and Philip Setzer.
Russian soprano Zhanna Menshikova (Santuzza), is a passionate and compelling performer, with experience ranging from the operatic stage to the concert halls. She has been hailed for her pure and gorgeous timbre and for possessing poignant expressions in her stage presence. Her most recent accomplishments include her debut performances as "Tatiana" in the production of Eugene Onegin at the Hudson Opera Theatre. The Review by Tom Kane boasted that "Music Director Ron DeFesi simply charmed me, delighted me and made me tingle at times -- especially during the arias of the soprano Zhanna Menshikova (Tatiana)…She was brilliant..." In previous seasons Ms. Menshikova made her debut in the title role of Aida with One World Symphony. She has also appeared at Amato Opera; most recently as Tosca, Leonora in Verdi's La Forza del Destino, and Rosalinda in Johann Straus's Die Fledermaus. Last season she made her debut with N.Y. Metamorphoses Orchestra in Rossini's Petite Messe Solennelle.
Gulnara Mitzanova (Santuzza) has sung leading roles nationally and internationally. Most recently she performed Rosina (Il barbiere di Siviglia) with Acadiana Symphony in Louisiana, Dalila (Samson et Dalila) with One World Symphony in New York City, Cherubino (Le nozze di Figaro) and Ulrica (Un ballo in Maschera) with Bourgas Philharmonic in Bulgaria. Roles include Carmen, Dorabella (Così fan tutte), Komponist (Ariadne auf Naxos), Olga (Eugene Onegin), Suzuki (Madama Butterfly), and others. Ms Mitzanova made her Carnegie Hall debut as a soloist with the New England Ensemble in Mozart's Solemn Vespers and V. Williams' Serenade to Music. She has performed on several occasions at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center with the Juilliard Chamber Ensemble. She has given numerous recitals, including concert series for Bard Music Festival and Caramoor Center. She has won a New York Oratorio Society's Outstanding Vocal Achievement Award, 2001; Liederkranz Foundation Finalist, 2001; Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation Finalist, 2000. Ms Mitzanova attended The Juilliard School and The Academy of Vocal Arts, and Moscow Conservatory.
Tenor Hansu Kim returns to One World Symphony as Turridu in Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana. Previous engagements with One World include the title role of Faust, Manrico in Il Trovatore, Radamès in Aida, and Don Jose in the sold-out Carmen. He received his master's degree from Indiana University where he studied with renowned heldentenor James King. His performing credits include such operatic roles as Radamès in Aida, Manrico in Il Trovatore, Duke in Rigoletto, Alfredo in La Traviata, Des Grieux in Manon Lescaut, Canio in I Pagliacci, Don José in Carmen, and the titles roles in in Faust and Werther. He has worked with Utah Festival Opera, Cedar Rapids Opera, New Rochelle Opera, National Lyric Opera, Dicapo Opera, Indiana University Opera and One World Symphony. He has performed three times at Isaac Stern Auditorium in Carnegie Hall with MidAmerica Productions and the New Jersey Philharmonic. He sang the National Anthem for the NY Mets at Shea Stadium. He has won First Prize at the Dicapo Opera Vocal Competition and Second Prize at the Vera Scammon International Vocal Competition and Third Prize at the San Gennaro Vocal Competition.
New
York native and tenor Noah Stewart (Turridu) returns
to One World Symphony with which he previously sang the role
of Manrico in Il Trovatore. He is a recent graduate
of The Adler Fellowship Program at The San Francisco Opera.
He made his S.F. Opera debut in last summer's production of Der
Rosenkavalier as the Faninal's Major-domo and returned
that season as the Philistine Messenger (Samson and Delilah),
Malcolm and Macduff (Macbeth) and as T. Morris Chester
in the world premiere of Philip Glass's Appomattox.
He also participated in the 2006 Merola Opera Program, where
he appeared as the Wizard in Conrad Susa's Transformations,
a role he reprised at Wexford Festival Opera. Recent performances
include the title role of Verdi's Il Trovatore with
Festival Opera, The Prince in John Adam's A Flowering
Tree with Chicago Opera Theater, Don José (Carmen)
at the Mondavi Center with UC Davis Symphony Orchestra and
Luigi (Il Tabarro) with the Vertical Players' Repertory.
Mr. Stewart is also the recipient of numerous awards, which
encompass George London Foundation, Opera Index, Licia Albanese
and Palm Beach Opera Competitions.
Baritone Shannon A. De Vine (Alfio) was 2nd Place Prize winner in the Liederkranz Voice Competition in New York in January 2008 and made his Weill Recital Hall debut in March 2008. "Shannon De Vine -- A clear vocal standout for his 'Questo amor' from Edgar by Puccini" (Opera News January 2008) at the Rose Hall of Lincoln Center is also winner of the Licia Albanese – Puccini Foundation Awards and was presented in concert at The Rose Hall, Lincoln Center in November, 2007. He was also a finalist in the Marseille International Voice Competition in France in September, 2007, semi-finalist in the International Voice Competition of Francisco Vinas in Barcelona, finalist in the Opera National de Paris de la Bastille International Voice Competition and the Rosa Ponselle International Voice Competition and winner of the Verdi Concerto Competition at the Aspen Music Festival. With One World Symphony, Shannon has performed the roles of Marcello in La Bohème, Captain Balstrode in Peter Grimes, Valetin in Faust, and Count di Luna in Il Trovatore. He recently earned his Master's degree at the Julliard School, and performed Demetrius in A Midsummer Night's Dream and Silvio in I Pagliacci. His professional debut was as Prince Yamadori in Puccini's Madama Butterfly with Connecticut Opera. He has appeared with the Aspen Opera Theater Center as Michele in Puccini's Il Tabarro, Ford in Falstaff (both with Maestro Rude)l and Guglielmo in Così fan tutte. His Houston Grand Opera debut as Morales and El Dancaire in Carmen under Maestro Alain Lombard, Riolobo in Florencia en las Amazonas, Top in The Tender Land, Guglielmo in Così fan tutte and made his Houston Symphony Orchestra debut. He joined the Tanglewood Music Center for his debut as Jose Tripaldi under the baton of Maestro Robert Spano in participation with Osvaldo Golijov's world premiere opera Ainadamar.
Juan Jose Ibarra (Alfio) has previously appeared with One World Symphony as Jochanaan in Salomé, Pistola in Falstaff, Bartolo in Le nozze di figaro, and Leporello in Don Giovanni. His has been featured artist with the Bronx Opera, the Utah Opera, the Natchez Opera Festival, the Asheville Lyric Opera, and the Brevard Music Festival. Among the roles he has performed at these venues are Leporello in Don Giovanni, Dr. Bartolo in Barber of Seville, Guglielmo in Così fan tutte, Theseus in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Frère Laurent in Romeo et Juliette, Ramfis in Aida, Dr. Falke in Die Fledermaus, and Crespel in Les Contes d'Hoffman. In musical theater he has appeared in A Little Night Music, The Mikado, Once Upon a Mattress and Fiddler on the Roof. He participated in the American Symphony Orchestra's American premiere production of Janacek's Osud at the new Fisher Center of Bard College.
Adrienne Metzinger (Lola) returns as a vocal soloist with One World Symphony after having sung the roles of Dryade in Ariadne auf naxos in June of 2008, Cornelia in Giulio Cesare in June 2007 and selections from Les nuits d'été in August of 2007. She is is a founding member, Graphic Designer and Managing Director of One World Symphony. Ms. Metzinger had the honor of singing our National Anthem to begin New York City's televised 2003 Veteran's Day Parade as well as at a ceremony honoring Senator Hillary Clinton held by the United Spinal Association. In June of 2003, she made her Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall debut singing the music of Kurt Weill. Some of her opera credits include Emilia (Otello), Mercedes (Carmen), Lola (Cavalleria Rusticana), Prince Orlofsky (Die Fledermaus), Flora and Annina (La Traviata), Peep-Bo (The Mikado), Countess Ceprano (Rigoletto), Kate (Madama Butterfly), The Sandman/Dew Fairy (Hansel and Gretel), and Kate (Ballad of Baby Doe) as well as Barbarina (Le Nozze di Figaro). She has also made numerous appearances with One World Symphony as a featured soloist in Britten's Ceremony of Carols, Bach's Magnificat, Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel as well many chamber and opera concerts singing selections by Barber, Verdi, Offenbach, and Weill to name a few. Ms. Metzinger has also performed world premiere works by Kyle Gann (orchestrated by Sung Jin Hong), Joan Dawidziak and Stan Grill.
Mezzo-soprano Monique Pelletier (Lola), has performed with opera companies and orchestras throughout the United States, including Hawaii Opera Theatre, Washington National Opera, Connecticut Grand Opera, Dicapo Opera Theatre, New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players, Honolulu Symphony, Vermont Mozart Festival, Green Mountain Opera, One World Symphony and National Chorale at Avery Fisher Hall. Roles include Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro, Hansel in Hansel and Gretel, Phoebe in Yeomen of the Guard, Third Maiden in Elektra, Mercedes in Carmen, Pitti-Sing in The Mikado, La Principessa in Suor Angelica, and Second Lady in Die Zauberflöte. With One World Symphony, she has sung Zelatrice in Suor Angelica. An accomplished oratorio soloist, Ms. Pelletier has sung Bach's St. Matthew Passion and Christmas Oratorio for the Vermont Mozart Festival, and Vivaldi's Gloria, Handel's Messiah and Bach's Magnificat with the Honolulu Symphony, of which the Honolulu Star-Bulletin noted "she sang with a supple luster that was absolutely captivating." Ms. Pelletier is originally from Alaska. She received a Bachelor's Degree in Vocal Arts from the University of Southern California and a Master's Degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Hawaii.
Mezzo-Soprano Leslie Middlebrook (Mamma Lucia) is pleased to return to One World Symphony, having recently sung with them both Mrs. Sedley in Peter Grimes and Herodias in Salomé. She has appeared with Virginia, San Francisco, Berkshire, Des Moines, VPR (Brooklyn), Harrisburg and Hampton Operas in roles ranging from Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus and Maddalena in Rigoletto to Augusta in Ballad of Baby Doe and Frugola in Il Tabarro. Her European debut was in the title roles of Menotti's The Medium and The Old Maid and the Thief in Bremen, Germany. Concert engagements include her Carnegie Hall debut in The Messiah, Verdi's Requiem at The Bach to Bartok International Festival in Italy, and The Ondine International Festival in Bulgaria as well as the world premiere of Margarita Zelenaia's Mother's Lamentations for String Orchestra and Mezzo-Soprano with One World Symphony. Recent engagements include concerts with Light Opera of New York and La Serenata and Mamma Lucia with Brooklyn Repertory Opera, as well as reprisals of Fricka in Das Rheingold, Waltraute/Fricka in Die Walkure, and Waltraute in Die Götterdämmerung with Wagner Festival Orchestra. Ms Middlebrook received her Masters Of Music from Manhattan School of Music.
Elizabeth Russo (Mamma Lucia; Santuzza cover) is excited to be back with One World Symphony after singing Amneris in Aida in 2006, and Herodias in Salomé in 2007. Elizabeth is an award-winning Mezzo-Soprano well known for her powerful voice and strong stage presence. "Elizabeth Russo, with a dark and voluminous mezzo, gave a sensuous performance of Carmen's Habañera" (Classical Singer). She performed her solo recital at the Marion Anderson Hall in Danbury, CT for which the press stated: "It was in Elgar's 'Sabbath Morning at Sea' that we were first treated to the full power of Russo's impressive voice." Most recently she performed Hayden's Lord Nelson Mass with the Garden State Philharmonic, as Lucretia in Rape of Lucretia, the Witch in Hansel and Gretel and The Prioress in Dialogue of the Carmelites with OPERAMICI. Other operatic roles include Waltraute and Wellgunde in Götterdämmerung and Principessa in Suor Angelica (Albany Symphony), Azucena in Il Trovatore, (Riverside Opera), Maddalena in Rigoletto (Nutmeg Opera), and Lady Jane in Patience (Sorg Opera, Ohio).
Friday, September 5,
2008
St. Ann and the Holy Trinity
Brooklyn Heights, New York
Sunday, September 7,
2008
Ansche Chesed Synagogue
Manhattan, New York
