Opera in April

Noticed quite a few operatic events taking place this month: The SF Conservatory of Music presents fully staged performances of Die Fledermaus on April 4, 5, 6, & 7. Since Cowell Theatre is being renovated, the production is staged in their campus concert hall, which will be fitted with a false procenium & wings. There's no pit either, so the orchestra & conductor Mark Morash will be in the mezzanine above & behind the stage. The conductor & singers will see each other via video feeds.

Nicholas McGegan conducts Handel's Teseo in concert performances with the Philharmonia Baroque in various Bay Area locations April 10, 11, 13, & 14. The soloists seem to include only high voices. Opera Parallèle, led by Nicole Paiement, performs a double bill of Leonard Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti (pictured) & Samuel Barber’s A Hand of Bridge in Z Space on April 26, 27, & 28. Baritone Eugene Brancoveanu leads the cast. Director Brian Staufenbiel will no doubt make interesting use of the space.

Also, the scrappy Pocket Opera performs an English language version of Offenbach's very silly Orpheus in the Underworld at the Legion of Honor on April 14.

§ Conservatory Opera Theatre
Strauss Die Fledermaus
Mark Morash, conductor
Voice department students

Thursday, April 4, 7:30 PM
Friday, April 5, 7:30 PM
Saturday, April 6, 7:30 PM
Sunday, April 7, 2:00 PM
Concert Hall


§ Philharmonia Baroque
HANDEL Teseo, HWV 9

Nicholas McGegan, conductor
Amanda Forsythe, soprano (Teseo)
Dominique Labelle, soprano (Medea)
Amy Freston, soprano (Agilea)
Céline Ricci, soprano (Clizia)
Robin Blaze, countertenor (Arcane)
Drew Minter, countertenor (Egeo)
Jonathan Smucker, tenor

Wed, Apr 10, 2013, 7:30 pm
The Center for Performing Arts, Atherton

Thur, Apr 11, 2013, 7:30 pm
The Herbst Theatre, San Francisco

Sat, Apr 13, 2013, 7:30 pm
Sun, Apr 14, 2013, 4:00 pm
First Congregational Church, Berkeley


§ Opera Parallèle
Artistic Director, Nicole Paiement

Trouble in Tahiti / A Hand of Bridge

Randall Bunnell (Baritone)
Eugene Brancoveanu (Baritone)
Lisa Chavez (Mezzo-Soprano)
Andres Ramirez (Tenor)
Krista Wigle (Soprano)

April 26th and 27th at 8:00 pm, and April 28th at 2:00 pm
Z Space

§ Pocket Opera
Donald Pippin, Artistic Director

Orpheus In The Underworld
Jacques Offenbach

April 14, 2:00 PM, SF Legion of Honor   
April 21, 2:00 PM, Napa Valley Opera House
April 28, 2:00 PM, Berkeley Hillside Club