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LATEST NEWS
January 25, 2012
2012 Season Announcement Scheduled for February 12
Dates, repertoire and artists for the 2012 summer season will be announced on Sunday February 12. Details will be posted on the Wolf Trap Foundation website.
Wolf Trap members enjoy priority ticket buying in early March, and tickets go on sale to the general public on Saturday, March 24.
November 22, 2011
2012 Season Audition Tour Concludes
The WTOC team visited eight cities in October and November 2011, crossing the country in search of the best emerging singers for next summer’s roster. They heard 1,215 arias and traveled 11,326 miles. Visit the blog for tales from their travels, and check the Aria Frequency lists to find out who’s singing what this year.
August 24, 2011
40th Anniversary Concert Features 31 WTOC Alumni
The Wolf Trap Opera Company celebrated its 40th anniversary with a gala concert on the Filene Center stage. Alumni singers performed arias and ensembles from opera’s greatest musical moments; and former singers, administrators and interns offered reminiscences. Photo gallery here.
August 13, 2011
Wolf Trap Opera Closes 2011 Regular Season with Les contes d’Hoffmann
The 2011 Filene Young Artists and Studio Artists finish their summer residencies today with the final performance of The Tales of Hoffmann. Nine FYAs will return on August 24 to join fourteen WTOC Alumni in Opera’s Greatest Hits – our 40th Anniversary Extravaganza!
July 27, 2011
Painting the Phillips Collection Music Room with Sound
Five WTOC Artists return to D.C.’s Phillips Collection on July 28 for this summer’s second installment of Vocal Colors. The one-hour concert will feature songs by Berlioz, Vaughan Williams, Mahler, Debussy, Sondheim, Hennessy and others, all paired with and inspired by paintings by Rothko, Bonnard, Corot, Van Gogh, Tack and other artists.
Tickets available here.
July 19, 2011
Two-time Tony Nominee Larry Blank to conduct Wolf Trap Opera Company’s Sweeney Todd with the National Symphony Orchestra
Arranger, composer, and conductor makes Filene Center debut following his work as orchestrator of 2011 Tony Nominated Broadway production of Catch Me if You Can.
Press release here.
July 8, 2011
PERFORMANCE THIS SUNDAY!
Couples: From Getting Hitched to Getting Ditched – Steven Blier returns for another amazing musical journey with our fantastic Filene Young Artists collaborating with him for 90 minutes of sheer joy on stage. Join us on Sunday, July 10th at 3pm for an unforgettable afternoon!
SPREAD THE WORD!
With our Alumni Concert on August 24th, we are producing Summer’s
Biggest Operatic Superstar Event of the Year! It’s the perfect opportunity to reach out to friends and patrons across the globe and invite them to Wolf Trap. We know that many of you, our Opera Insiders, travel the world over to see your favorite performers and performances, and your network of friends and colleagues is greater than ours! If you’d like to offer suggestions of names or ways that we might publicize this powerhouse evening of Opera’s Greatest Hits, would you email Ryan at ryant@wolftrap.org? He’d like to set up a time to talk with you!
ALUMNI NEWS… Wolf Trap in Santa Fe!
Our alumni have a strong presence at the prestigious opera festival this summer in New Mexico – See some of your favorite Trappers in every production there this year!
Faust
Marguerite – Ailyn Perez (FYA ’06)
Marthe – Jamie Barton (FYA ’09)
La bohème
Musetta – Heidi Stober (FYA ’06)
Schaunard – Markus Beam (FYA ’03, ’04)
Griselda
Gualtiero – Paul Groves (FYA ’91, ’92)
The Last Savage
Kitty – Anna Christy (FYA ’00, ’01)
Maharanee – Jamie Barton (FYA ’09)
Mr. Scattergood – Kevin Burdette (FYA ’00, ’02)
Director – Ned Canty (Stage Director, ’99, ’00, ’01, ’05)
Wozzeck
Wozzeck – Richard Paul Fink (FYA ’85)
The Doctor – Eric Owens (FYA ’94, ’95)
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June 11, 2011
The 2011 Season Press Release is now available via many media outlets, including PR Newswire.
May 31, 2011
WTOC Alum Paul Appleby on A Prairie Home Companion
WTOC alum Paul Appleby appeared with Garrison Keillor during the Memorial Day weekend broadcast. Paul was accompanied by Wolf Trap Opera Company Director Kim Pensinger Witman on the piano. At this writing, audio excerpts are available at http://prairiehome.publicradio.org. Scroll down under the “Audio Highlights from the 5/28 Show” or click here for “Kuda Kuda” and “American Tune.”
May 20, 2011
Artists Arrive for the 2011 Season
Wolf-Ferrari’s The Curious Women begins rehearsal on Monday, May 23, and artists begin arriving this weekend. This year’s roster of Filene Young Artists were chosen during a nationwide audition tour (8 cities) in October/November 2010. The 16 artists in the 2011 Company represent the top 2% of those who applied.
They hail from all over the U.S., representing hometowns in Texas (Dallas, Humble, Odessa, Sundown and San Antonio), Illinois (Elmhurst, Geneseo, Jacksonville and Peoria), Louisians (Metairie), Iowa (Waukee), California (San Diego), South Dakota (Sioux Falls), Pennsylvania (Yardley), and Washington D.C.
This year’s artists did their graduate and post-graduate study at University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Eastman School of Music, University of Michigan, Mannes College The New School for Music, Curtis Institute, Indiana University, Manhattan School of Music, Michigan State University, University of Houston, Rice University, Yale School of Music, Purchase College SUNY, and University of Wisconsin. They have recently sung in young artists programs at Houston Grand Opera, Seattle Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, and Washington National Opera.
April 27, 2011
The Washington Post Features The Inspector
Anne Midgette of The Washington Post interviews some of the people behind Wolf Trap’s newest opera, The Inspector, which premieres tonight at The Barns: Wolf Trap Launches World Premiere of Comic Opera The Inspector
March 21, 2011
Rising Metropolitan Opera Star Mezzo-Soprano Kate Lindsey Appears on Wolf Trap’s Acclaimed Discovery Series
An alumna of the Wolf Trap Opera Company Filene Young Artist program (2005 & 2007), Lindsey now graces the stages of the world’s top opera houses and concert halls. Fresh off her Los Angeles Opera debut, Kate joins Wolf Trap Opera Company Director Kim Witman in recital on April 8, 2011 at 8pm at The Barns. In just a few short years since her residency with the Wolf Trap Opera Company, the accomplished young mezzo has become an engaging force in the music world. Following her star turn as Nicklausse in the Met’s HD Broadcast of Les Contes d’Hoffman in theaters nationwide, Lindsey returns to the Metropolitan Opera this season to remount that production and to the Seattle Opera as Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia.
Recital Program Kate Lindsey 4.8.11
March 4, 2011
Tickets for the 2011 season go on sale on Saturday, March 12 at 10:00 am.
At The Barns: Wolf-Ferrari’s The Curious Women, Offenbach’s The Tales of Hoffmann and Couples: From Getting Hitched to Getting Ditched – a recital with Steven Blier.
At the Filene Center: Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd and a special benefit concert featuring over a dozen alumni of the WTOC.
February 7, 2011
40th Anniversary Season Announcement
Visit the blog for the 2011 season announcement.
November 15, 2010
2011 Audition Tour Underway
The 2011 nationwide audition tour will conclude in Vienna VA on November 22. WTOC Director Kim Witman and Adminstrative Director Lee Anne Myslewski are holding auditions in eight cities and will hear over 1,000 arias in search of the best and brightest talent of opera’s next generation. Singers will be chosen, repertoire will be selected, and summer 2011 performances will be scheduled during December and January.
August 15, 2010
Behind the Curtain: Family Day at the Opera!
Media Outlets are reporting on tomorrow’s family event. We’re getting excited to allow families with children to have some fun with our artists tomorrow! Only two spots remain for the event… Register now at www.wolftrap.org!
August 8, 2010
Final 2010 Backstage Buzz Artist Panel
On Tuesday, August 10 at 1:00pm, WTOC Director Kim Witman will speak with A Midsummer Night’s Dream stage director Patrick Diamond, scenic designer Erhard Rom, soprano Ashlyn Rust (Titania), mezzo-soprano Catherine Martin (Hermia), countertenor Ryan Belongie (Oberon) & bass Nicholas Masters (Bottom). Admission is free, and the location is the Center for Education at Wolf Trap.
Jul7 27, 2010
Washingtonian features Kenneth Kellogg
This month’s Washingtonian magazine features a terrific article on Kenneth Kellogg, who grew up in D.C. and has returned home to make debuts at Wolf Trap Opera and Washington National Opera this season. Click here to download the full article.
July 22, 2010
2011 Season Audition Tour Dates & Cities Announced
Click through to full list of cities and dates for this fall. 19 days in 8 cities.vFirst application deadline is September 24.
July 6, 2010
Vocal Colors – A Vibrant Fusion of Arts Onstage
Click to download release here.
July 3, 2010
New Opera: Good Things Come in Small Packages
Hot off the presses today at the Wolf Trap Opera Company is an interview with WTOC Director Kim Pensinger Witman, which features prominently in the second of Anne Midgette’s two-part analysis of the future of American Opera in the Washington Post. The article includes an early mention of Wolf Trap’s 2011 premiere of The Inspector - a new opera by John Musto, with libretto by Mark Campbell, the team behind Wolf Trap’s GRAMMY-nominated Volpone.
June 26, 2010
Backstage Buzz: The Turk in Italy Edition
Our summer series of artist panel discussions continues Tuesday, June 29 at 1:00 pm. Kim Witman interviews Turk in Italy team members Angela Mannino (Fiorilla), David Portillo (Narciso), Chad Sloan (Poeta), conductor Eric Melear and director Gregory Keller. Backstage Buzz artist panels are free events at The Center for Education at Wolf Trap, but reservation is required. Write to ryant@wolftrap.org
June 13, 2010
News of Zaide Goes Global!
Thanks to some great media coverage of Zaide, for which we’re very grateful, word of our production has spread across the globe with reports (so far) coming out of Sweden, France, and England!
June 11, 2010
Mattie Ullrich mixes an eye for couture with a flair for the dramatic
The Washington Examiner profiles Mattie Ullrich, whose designs have been seen at Wolf Trap in Alcina (’08), Ariadne auf Naxos (’08), Così fan tutte (’09), and Zaide (’10) which opens tonight at The Barns at Wolf Trap. Click Here.
June 10, 2010
Wolf Trap lets audience choose the ending to Mozart’s unfinished opera, Zaide
The Washington Post previews our new production of Zaide, which opens our 2010 summer season this weekend! Click Here.
June 2, 2010
Backstage Buzz: The Zaide Edition
Our summer series of artist panel discussions kicks off Tuesday, June 8 at 1:00 pm. Hana Park (Zaide), Michael Sumuel (Osmin), Mattie Ullrich (Costume Designer) and James Marvel (Director) sit down to talk about their journey in bringing this compelling Mozart drama to the stage.
May 27, 2010
Mature Content Advisory
Zaide is the story of a man and woman captured and held against their will in a foreign land. In this production, their love story unfolds against a frank and realistic depiction of their lives in captivity, and some scenes may be considered violent in nature. The content of the performance may therefore be more ideally suited to more mature audiences. The best tickets remaining for our production of this compelling Mozart drama are on Friday, June 11 and Tuesday, June 15.
