The 12th Annual Summer Opera presents Three Free Performances of "Maria de Buenos Aires" at the Chicago Cultural Center August 12 – 14
The Tango Operita “Maria de Buenos Aires” by Astor Piazzolla and Horacio Ferrer Stars Soprano Catalina Cuervo, Baritone Ricardo Herrera and Grammy Award-Winner Raul Jaurena on the Bandoneon
Madeline Long 312.742.7388, Madeline.Long@explorechicago.org Benjamin Kelner 312.744.8948, Benjamin.Kelner@explorechicago.org
CHICAGO (Wednesday, July 20, 2011) – This summer, the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), in partnership with the Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture (COTC), presents the highly anticipated return of the free Summer Opera series. This year features three performances of “Maria de Buenos Aires” by Astor Piazzolla and Horacio Ferrer, August 12-14 in Preston Bradley Hall at the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St. Free tickets become available Tuesday, August 2 beginning at 12 p.m. and must be obtained in person at the Chicago Cultural Center Box Office, 78 E. Washington St.
The 20th-century Tango Operita, “Maria de Buenos Aires,” tells the story of the seductive Maria, played by the astonishing young soprano Catalina Cuervo, who embarks on a journey through life, death and the after-life with the hauntingly beautiful sound of the bandoneon, played by Grammy Award-winner Raul Jaurena. Cuervo performs in the company of highly praised baritone Ricardo Herrera.
Music Director Gerardo Moreira travels from Rio de la Plata to conduct the Chicago production of “Maria de Buenos Aires,” which he has been championing since 1992 in the most prestigious concert halls in the world including Teatro Colon of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Teatro Solis in Montevideo, Uruguay and throughout Latin America.
Elbio Barilari narrates in the original dialect of Rio de la Plata, lunfardo. The fully staged production incorporates stunning tango sequences performed by guest dancer Victoria Vargas, of the Joffrey Ballet, and dancers of Tango 21 under the direction of Jorge Niedas, Artistic Director of Tango 21. Barilari and Niedas share credit for the Stage Direction of this production.
Raul Jaurena, along with the Maria de Buenos Aires Tango Orchestra, will also perform at Chicago SummerDance, Thursday, August 11 from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. following a free Argentine Tango lesson by instructors from Tango 21 from 6 to 7 p.m. Chicago SummerDance takes place in Grant Park’s Spirit of Music Garden, 601 S. Michigan Ave, every Thursday through Saturday through September 18. For the full SummerDance schedule, visit www.ChicagoSummerDance.org.
The Argentine Tango was born in the brothels, reared in bars and backstreets in the outskirts of Buenos Aires and Montevideo, nurtured by the souls of the downtrodden. This Tango Operita celebrates the heights to which this once lowly dance has been elevated. First performed in 1968, it was a key work in Piazzolla’s revolutionizing of the tango, transforming it from dance music to concert music by bringing in elements of jazz and classical composition for the first time.
Ticket and Schedule Information
“Maria de Buenos Aires” performances will take place Friday, August 12 and Saturday, August 13 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, August 14 at 3 p.m. in Preston Bradley Hall at the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St.
All Summer Opera performances are free and open to the public; however, tickets are required and must be obtained in person in advance at the Chicago Cultural Center Ticket Office, 78 E. Washington St. Tickets will become available beginning Tuesday, August 2 at 12 p.m. A limit of four tickets can be reserved per person. Space is limited and tickets are subject to availability. The box office is open Tuesday - Saturday from 12 to 6 p.m. and Sundays from 12 to 4 p.m. For more information, visit www.ExploreChicago.org or call the box office at 312.742.8497.
“Maria de Buenos Aires” is presented in collaboration with the Latino Music Festival, a program of the ILCC, International Latino Cultural Center. Accommodations are generously provided by Seneca Hotel and Suites in downtown Chicago. For more information, visit senecahotel.com.
Colombian-born Soprano Catalina Cuervo recently finished two years as a young artist for Chicago Opera Theater (COT) and graduated with her Masters and Artist Diploma from Roosevelt University where she studied under world-renowned singer and teacher Judith Haddon. She completed a BM in Vocal Performance at University of Florida in 2006, and an AA in Sound Engineering and Music at Miami Dade College. Cuervo recently performed the role of Magda in Puccini’s “La Rondine” and portrayed Alinda in Cavalli’s “Giasone” in the Chicago Opera Theater’s 2010 season. Additional roles have included Micaela for COT’s production of “La Tragedie de Carmen,” Antonia in “Les Contes d’Hoffman,” Susanna in “Susanna’s Secret” and the role of Maria from the opera “l Due Timidi” under the direction of Acushla Bastible for Santa Fe Opera. Cuervo was a finalist in the Neue Stimmen International Singing Competition in Germany, and won the Graduate Division of the Chicago Area for the Classical Singer Competition and was a finalist in New York for the same. She was also a finalist at the Hershey Felder’s Real Thing Competition in 2007 and the NWSA Concerto Competition in 2006.
Bass-baritone Ricardo Herrera was recently featured as soloist with Distinguished Concerts International in Jenkin’s “Mass for Peace” at Carnegie Hall where he also stepped in for Walter Cronkite to deliver excerpts of the “I Have a Dream” speech in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He gave a recital of Spanish music entitled “Creados en Canto” in Clinton, CT; was a soloist with the South Eastern Festival of Song in Dallas, TX and performed in Beethoven’s “Ninth Symphony” with the Lake Forest Symphony. Most recently Herrera performed the role of Ferrando in “Il Trovatore” with El Paso Opera and the role of Dr. Bartolo in “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” with Bel Canto at Caramoor. Of his performance, the New York Times raved, “As Bartolo…the bass-baritone Ricardo Herrera nearly stopped the show with his hearty singing of the showpiece aria…capped by rapid-fire patter.” Herrera has performed with various Opera companies and Song Festivals around the USA and Europe including Gotham Opera, New York Festival of Song, Bel Canto Opera at Caramoor, Oldenburgisches Staadtsheater and San Francisco Opera. Herrera’s performance as Tiresias and Le Veilleur in Enesco’s “Oedipe” with Sinfonia da Camera was recorded live by Albany Records and released in the Fall of 2007. In 2011, Albany Records also released his recording of W. Schuman’s American Cantata “On Freedom’s Ground.” A recipient of various awards and distinctions, Herrera won first Prize in the Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation Competition.
Raul Jaurena is among today’s most prominent bandoneon players. His music plays a very personal tribute to the influences of his native South America and his adopted hometown of New York. It combines the traditional roots of the tango and the style of the “Tango Nuevo” influenced by Astor Piazzolla. Juarena was raised in Uruguay where his father taught him how to play the bandoneon, and by the age of eight he already joined a Tango orchestra. Jaurena was a member of and adaptor for various renowned Tango ensembles throughout Uruguay, Argentina, Brasil, Chile, Ecuador and Venezuela in the 1960s and 70s. His arrangements and his skills as a composer and a solo player make him equally popular both in the USA and in Europe. The ballet suite he composed in 1995 for the “Irene Hultman Dance Company” debuted in New York and was awarded the “Bessie.” During the same year he was invited to the White House and received a Grammy nomination for his CD Tango Bar. In 2007 he won a LATIN GRAMMY for best Tango Album “Te amo Tango.” He has played with Cuban Jazz saxophone player Paquito D'Rivera, Yo Yo Ma, Giora Feidman and Tango Five, among others. As a soloist he plays with prominent ensembles and orchestras throughout Europe and has made special guest appearances at the International Accordeon Festival in San Antonio, Texas and at Chicago’s Ravinia Festival.
Audience and critical response to past Summer Opera productions has been consistently positive, and tickets for the free series most often 'sell out' within days. Previous DCA Summer Operas have included: “The Breasts of Tiresias” by Francis Poulenc (1999); “Master Peter's Puppet Show” by Manuel de Falla (Coproduction with Chicago Opera Theater, 2000); “The Impresario” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (2001); “The Marriage of Figaro” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (2001); “Candide” by Leonard Bernstein (2003); A French Double Bill: “The Bewitched Child” by Maurice Ravel and “Genevieve of Brabant” by Erik Satie (2004); “The Love for Three Oranges” by Sergei Prokofiev (2005); “The Magic Flute” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (2006); “Il Signor Bruschino” by Rossini (2007); “Djamileh” by Georges Bizet (2008); and “Acis and Galatea” by G.F. Handel (2009).
Public programs, exhibitions, and related educational programming presented at the Chicago Cultural Center by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events in partnership with the Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture are partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency. Transportation support is provided by United Airlines, The Official Airline of the Chicago Cultural Center. Lawry’s The Prime Rib is the restaurant sponsor of Chicago Cultural Center exhibitions. Chicago Cultural Center concert pianos are generously provided by Steinway of Chicago.
Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events
The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) is dedicated to promoting an ongoing celebration of the arts; supporting the people who create and sustain them; and marketing the city’s abundant cultural resources to a worldwide audience. DCASE, in partnership with the Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture, programs and promotes thousands of high-quality free festivals, exhibitions, performances and holiday celebrations presented each year at Millennium Park, Grant Park, the Chicago Cultural Center and other venues throughout the city.
Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture
The Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture (COTC) is dedicated to promoting Chicago as a premier cultural destination to domestic and international leisure travelers, providing innovative visitor programs and services, and presenting free world-class public programs. COTC supports local artists through grants and other resources and creates vital opportunities for artists of all levels. For more information please visit www.ExploreChicago.org.
High Resolution Images and Interviews Available Upon Request
The 20th-century Tango Operita, “Maria de Buenos Aires,” tells the story of the seductive Maria, played by the astonishing young soprano Catalina Cuervo, who embarks on a journey through life, death and the after-life with the hauntingly beautiful sound of the bandoneon, played by Grammy Award-winner Raul Jaurena. Cuervo performs in the company of highly praised baritone Ricardo Herrera.
Music Director Gerardo Moreira travels from Rio de la Plata to conduct the Chicago production of “Maria de Buenos Aires,” which he has been championing since 1992 in the most prestigious concert halls in the world including Teatro Colon of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Teatro Solis in Montevideo, Uruguay and throughout Latin America.
Elbio Barilari narrates in the original dialect of Rio de la Plata, lunfardo. The fully staged production incorporates stunning tango sequences performed by guest dancer Victoria Vargas, of the Joffrey Ballet, and dancers of Tango 21 under the direction of Jorge Niedas, Artistic Director of Tango 21. Barilari and Niedas share credit for the Stage Direction of this production.
Raul Jaurena, along with the Maria de Buenos Aires Tango Orchestra, will also perform at Chicago SummerDance, Thursday, August 11 from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. following a free Argentine Tango lesson by instructors from Tango 21 from 6 to 7 p.m. Chicago SummerDance takes place in Grant Park’s Spirit of Music Garden, 601 S. Michigan Ave, every Thursday through Saturday through September 18. For the full SummerDance schedule, visit www.ChicagoSummerDance.org.
The Argentine Tango was born in the brothels, reared in bars and backstreets in the outskirts of Buenos Aires and Montevideo, nurtured by the souls of the downtrodden. This Tango Operita celebrates the heights to which this once lowly dance has been elevated. First performed in 1968, it was a key work in Piazzolla’s revolutionizing of the tango, transforming it from dance music to concert music by bringing in elements of jazz and classical composition for the first time.
Ticket and Schedule Information
“Maria de Buenos Aires” performances will take place Friday, August 12 and Saturday, August 13 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, August 14 at 3 p.m. in Preston Bradley Hall at the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St.
All Summer Opera performances are free and open to the public; however, tickets are required and must be obtained in person in advance at the Chicago Cultural Center Ticket Office, 78 E. Washington St. Tickets will become available beginning Tuesday, August 2 at 12 p.m. A limit of four tickets can be reserved per person. Space is limited and tickets are subject to availability. The box office is open Tuesday - Saturday from 12 to 6 p.m. and Sundays from 12 to 4 p.m. For more information, visit www.ExploreChicago.org or call the box office at 312.742.8497.
“Maria de Buenos Aires” is presented in collaboration with the Latino Music Festival, a program of the ILCC, International Latino Cultural Center. Accommodations are generously provided by Seneca Hotel and Suites in downtown Chicago. For more information, visit senecahotel.com.
Colombian-born Soprano Catalina Cuervo recently finished two years as a young artist for Chicago Opera Theater (COT) and graduated with her Masters and Artist Diploma from Roosevelt University where she studied under world-renowned singer and teacher Judith Haddon. She completed a BM in Vocal Performance at University of Florida in 2006, and an AA in Sound Engineering and Music at Miami Dade College. Cuervo recently performed the role of Magda in Puccini’s “La Rondine” and portrayed Alinda in Cavalli’s “Giasone” in the Chicago Opera Theater’s 2010 season. Additional roles have included Micaela for COT’s production of “La Tragedie de Carmen,” Antonia in “Les Contes d’Hoffman,” Susanna in “Susanna’s Secret” and the role of Maria from the opera “l Due Timidi” under the direction of Acushla Bastible for Santa Fe Opera. Cuervo was a finalist in the Neue Stimmen International Singing Competition in Germany, and won the Graduate Division of the Chicago Area for the Classical Singer Competition and was a finalist in New York for the same. She was also a finalist at the Hershey Felder’s Real Thing Competition in 2007 and the NWSA Concerto Competition in 2006.
Bass-baritone Ricardo Herrera was recently featured as soloist with Distinguished Concerts International in Jenkin’s “Mass for Peace” at Carnegie Hall where he also stepped in for Walter Cronkite to deliver excerpts of the “I Have a Dream” speech in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He gave a recital of Spanish music entitled “Creados en Canto” in Clinton, CT; was a soloist with the South Eastern Festival of Song in Dallas, TX and performed in Beethoven’s “Ninth Symphony” with the Lake Forest Symphony. Most recently Herrera performed the role of Ferrando in “Il Trovatore” with El Paso Opera and the role of Dr. Bartolo in “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” with Bel Canto at Caramoor. Of his performance, the New York Times raved, “As Bartolo…the bass-baritone Ricardo Herrera nearly stopped the show with his hearty singing of the showpiece aria…capped by rapid-fire patter.” Herrera has performed with various Opera companies and Song Festivals around the USA and Europe including Gotham Opera, New York Festival of Song, Bel Canto Opera at Caramoor, Oldenburgisches Staadtsheater and San Francisco Opera. Herrera’s performance as Tiresias and Le Veilleur in Enesco’s “Oedipe” with Sinfonia da Camera was recorded live by Albany Records and released in the Fall of 2007. In 2011, Albany Records also released his recording of W. Schuman’s American Cantata “On Freedom’s Ground.” A recipient of various awards and distinctions, Herrera won first Prize in the Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation Competition.
Raul Jaurena is among today’s most prominent bandoneon players. His music plays a very personal tribute to the influences of his native South America and his adopted hometown of New York. It combines the traditional roots of the tango and the style of the “Tango Nuevo” influenced by Astor Piazzolla. Juarena was raised in Uruguay where his father taught him how to play the bandoneon, and by the age of eight he already joined a Tango orchestra. Jaurena was a member of and adaptor for various renowned Tango ensembles throughout Uruguay, Argentina, Brasil, Chile, Ecuador and Venezuela in the 1960s and 70s. His arrangements and his skills as a composer and a solo player make him equally popular both in the USA and in Europe. The ballet suite he composed in 1995 for the “Irene Hultman Dance Company” debuted in New York and was awarded the “Bessie.” During the same year he was invited to the White House and received a Grammy nomination for his CD Tango Bar. In 2007 he won a LATIN GRAMMY for best Tango Album “Te amo Tango.” He has played with Cuban Jazz saxophone player Paquito D'Rivera, Yo Yo Ma, Giora Feidman and Tango Five, among others. As a soloist he plays with prominent ensembles and orchestras throughout Europe and has made special guest appearances at the International Accordeon Festival in San Antonio, Texas and at Chicago’s Ravinia Festival.
Audience and critical response to past Summer Opera productions has been consistently positive, and tickets for the free series most often 'sell out' within days. Previous DCA Summer Operas have included: “The Breasts of Tiresias” by Francis Poulenc (1999); “Master Peter's Puppet Show” by Manuel de Falla (Coproduction with Chicago Opera Theater, 2000); “The Impresario” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (2001); “The Marriage of Figaro” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (2001); “Candide” by Leonard Bernstein (2003); A French Double Bill: “The Bewitched Child” by Maurice Ravel and “Genevieve of Brabant” by Erik Satie (2004); “The Love for Three Oranges” by Sergei Prokofiev (2005); “The Magic Flute” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (2006); “Il Signor Bruschino” by Rossini (2007); “Djamileh” by Georges Bizet (2008); and “Acis and Galatea” by G.F. Handel (2009).
Public programs, exhibitions, and related educational programming presented at the Chicago Cultural Center by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events in partnership with the Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture are partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency. Transportation support is provided by United Airlines, The Official Airline of the Chicago Cultural Center. Lawry’s The Prime Rib is the restaurant sponsor of Chicago Cultural Center exhibitions. Chicago Cultural Center concert pianos are generously provided by Steinway of Chicago.
Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events
The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) is dedicated to promoting an ongoing celebration of the arts; supporting the people who create and sustain them; and marketing the city’s abundant cultural resources to a worldwide audience. DCASE, in partnership with the Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture, programs and promotes thousands of high-quality free festivals, exhibitions, performances and holiday celebrations presented each year at Millennium Park, Grant Park, the Chicago Cultural Center and other venues throughout the city.
Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture
The Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture (COTC) is dedicated to promoting Chicago as a premier cultural destination to domestic and international leisure travelers, providing innovative visitor programs and services, and presenting free world-class public programs. COTC supports local artists through grants and other resources and creates vital opportunities for artists of all levels. For more information please visit www.ExploreChicago.org.
High Resolution Images and Interviews Available Upon Request
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.