LONG LEAF OPERA FESTIVAL JUNE, 2009

LONG LEAF OPERA ANNOUNCES 11th SEASON

New Home, World Premiere, International Vocal Competition and New Operas-in-Progress

May 17, 2009 -- Long Leaf Opera (LLO) announced today an exciting array of American operas and musical events in celebration of its eleventh season. Long Leaf Opera, (LLO) the country’s only opera company dedicated to fully staged operas originally written in English and highlighting American composers, presents two full weekends of performances, an outreach opera, and a vocal competition, all taking place June 12-21, 2009 at its new venue, North Carolina State University’s Stewart Theatre in Raleigh. Long Leaf Opera 2009 tickets are on sale beginning Monday, June 1, 2009.

Long Leaf Opera brings a unique element to North Carolina’s music scene by offering innovative interpretations of English-written operatic works, both contemporary and classic. In addition, this season, the Long Leaf Opera National Vocal Competition which attracted entries from all over the world will take place during the festival on Saturday, June 13. Main stage performances include Duo Nuovo, Friday, June 12; Hear It First: New Operas in Progress, Sunday, June 14; Three for One: A Bill of One-Act Operas June 19 and 21, including a World Premiere; and American Voices: Grayson and Piersall in Concert, Saturday, June 20.

“Given that many opera companies have curtailed their season and even shut their doors, Long Leaf Opera is delighted to be presenting our festival this year. We appreciate the Triangle’s continued support of this unique event and look forward to our new home in Raleigh," said Long Leaf Opera General Director, Jim Schaeffer.

Long Leaf Opera Festival Schedule: June 12-21, 2009 • NCSU’s Stewart Theater
(unless otherwise noted):
Friday, June 12: Duo Nuovo, 8pm
Saturday, June 13: LLO National Vocal Competition, Semi-Final round, 10am;
Final Round, 7:30pm
Sunday, June 14: Hear It First: Scenes from New Operas in Progress, 2pm
Wednesday, June 17, 8pm: New York Stories by Daron Hagen, 8pm
(event at Carswell Concert Hall, Meredith College, Raleigh)
Friday, June 19, 8pm and Sunday, June 21, 2pm: Three for One: A Bill of
One-Act Operas: Mercury Falling by Chandler Carter (World Premiere), Bon Appetit by Lee Hoiby and A Tree-A Rock-A Cloud by J. Mark Scearce
Saturday, June 20, 8pm: American Voices: Elizabeth Grayson and Rick Piersall in Concert

Long Leaf Opera 2009 Festival Featured Performances


Friday June 12, 8pm • Duo Nuovo
Beautiful Vocal Duets by American Composers

Soprano Terry Rhodes and mezzo-soprano Ellen Williams recorded the well received 1995 disc "To Sun, To Feast, and To Converse" (Albany Records, Troy 172) of newly recorded duets from the 20th century American song and operatic repertoire. Their latest CD of vocal music by Libby Larsen, with pianist Benton Hess was released on the Albany label in 2004. Rhodes and Williams have a number of duet sets which have been written especially for them (Stephen Jaffe's "Fort Juniper Songs," Timothy Hoekman's "Margarets" and Benton Hess' "Atrocities") and have toured as a duo team throughout Europe and the U.S. including performances in Italy and Germany.
Featuring local musical favorites, David Lamb and the Wolves.

Saturday June 13, 10am Semi-Finals; Final Round, 7:30pm • Long Leaf Opera National Vocal Competition featuring tomorrow’s opera stars today

Over 70 vocalists from across the U.S. and five foreign countries entered the competition. Eleven semi-finalists were selected for the competition... The semi-final round begins at 10am and five contestants will continue on to the final round at 7:30. They will vie for cash prizes before a live audience and a distinguished panel of judges with an opportunity to perform in a future Long Leaf Opera production. Audience members can choose their own favorites by ballot vote. Free and open to the public

Sunday June 14, 2pm • Hear It First: New Operas-In-Progress
Featuring works of leading contemporary composers Justine F. Chen, Robert Clumbey and Tina Davidson

Jeanne based on the story of Jean of Arc by New York-based Justine F. Chen was featured at the New York City Opera VOX 2008 comeptition. Justine is the recipient of many prestigious awards and commissions. Her works have been commissioned and performed by The Juilliard School, New York City Opera, New York Choreographic Institute and the Washington Ballet.

Sought-after composer Robert Chumbley studied under Leonard Bernstein and is a prize-winning pianist. His work in progress Hidden Jewel is his second opera; Ordinary People was his first operatic work; Robert has written orchestral works commissioned and performed by (among others) the North Carolina and Omaha Symphonies and is former director of Atlanta Ballet and Cleveland Opera.

Tina Davidson’s work The Pearl, based on the novel by Mary Gordon, will be performed. Tina creates music that stands out for its emotional depth and lyrical dignity. She has been acclaimed for her authentic voice, her “vivid ear for harmony and colors” (New York Times) and her works of “transfigured beauty” (Opera News).


Wednesday June 17, 8pm • New York Stories by Daron Hagen
Three intimate stories, Broken Pieces, Just for the Night, and Cradle Song are based on the experiences of real people. The music weaves their lives together. Conceived as a trilogy for performance both together and separately, the first skit is piquant and romantic, the second dark and funny by turns, the third warmly domestic and ends with a delightful twist.

This workshop, part of Long Leaf Opera’s outreach mission, will be directed and performed by voice students from UNC-Chapel Hill and Meredith College.
(Note: This event takes place at Meredith College’s Carswell Concert Hall)


Friday June 19, 8pm and Sunday, June 21, 2pm • Three for One: A Bill of One Acts
Mercury Falling by Chandler Carter (World Premiere), Bon Appetit by Lee Hoiby,
A Tree-A Rock-A Cloud by J. Mark Scearce

Chandler Carter’s works—which include over 50 songs, choral, chamber and orchestral works and three operas—have been performed throughout the United States and in Canada and Europe by numerous distinguished recitalists and ensembles. Carter’s Strange Fruit was selected for New York City Opera’s VOX 2003 showcase, resulting in a commission by Long Leaf Opera. The opera was hailed by critics as a “stunner of an opening performance” for Long Leaf’s inaugural summer festival.

Mercury Falling will be a world premiere event featuring tenor Daviel Neer whose appearances include Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Merkin Concert Hall, the 92nd Street Y, Guggenheim Museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Trinity Church Wall Street, Music at The Anthology, Angel Orensanz Center, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Miller Theater, The Kitchen, Radio City Music Hall and on Broadway in the National Theatre's production of Coram Boy and in Baz Luhrmann’s La Bohème.

One of America’s foremost composers, Lee Hoiby studied with Menotti at the Curtis Institute, and has written operas, ballets, choral and instrumental music and songs, in a modern Romantic, lyrical style. He has played as a recitalist throughout the USA. Featuring soprano Baraba DeMaio Caprilli whose repertoire includes all the great roles of a Puccini and Verdi soprano; Tosca (Palermo, Torre del Lago); Lady Macbeth (Firenze); Turandot (Genova, Torre del Lago, Cagliari, Palma de Mallorca); Aida (Caracalla, Verona, Taiwan, Avenches), Abigaille in Nabucco (Bern, Barcelona, Tel Aviv, Brussels, Torino, Genova), and also Amelia in Ballo in Maschera, Elvira in Ernani, Lucrezia in I Due Foscari, Leonora in La Forza del Destino and Odabella in La Scala's Attila directed by Riccardo Muti.

J. Mark Scearce is currently Director of Music at NC State University in Raleigh. Published and recorded by Delos, Capstone, Centaur and Warner Brothers, his music has won four national competitions and been performed across North America as well as in Europe, Asia, and the Pacific. Among his many honors and awards are those from the National Association of Composers, the National Conference of the Society of Composers, the North Carolina Arts Council, the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, and the American Music Center.


Saturday June 20, 8pm • American Voices: Elizabeth Grayson and Rick Piersall in Concert
Great works from the American Songbook, featuring:

Elizabeth Williams-Grayson (soprano) enjoys a professional career in opera, musical theatre, classical/pops concert stage, and television. This past season Elizabeth made her international debut as Grace Kelly in Michael Daugherty’s American opera “Jackie O” at the Teatro Rossini di Lugo and the Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Italy.

Rick Piersall (baritone) is a well-known performer across the United States, and has appeared in leading roles with the Des Moines Metro Opera, El Paso Opera, Opera at Lehigh, Opera Fort Collins, Opera Iowa, Opera North, Amarillo Opera, Abilene Opera and Long Leaf Opera.

2009 Long Leaf Opera Festival Tickets and Information

Tickets for Long Leaf Opera’s 2009 season are priced from $35. Ten percent discount for seniors; $10 children and students. Festival passes also available. Tickets will be available through NCSU’s Ticket Central beginning June 1 (919) 515-1100 beginning Monday, June 1, 2009 or www.ncsu.edu/arts/ticketcentral.

Visit www.longleafopera.org for updated performance information.