July | August

The WFMT Radio Network is pleased to continue its summer opera season with productions from the 2009-10 Los Angeles Opera season.

In just 23 seasons, LA Opera has become, under the leadership of The Eli and Edythe Broad General Director Plácido Domingo, the United States' fourth largest opera company and now "...stands out as a newly important force in American Opera." (Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times). Together, they have prepared an artistically diverse and adventurous season that features 7 operas, including three complete Ring cycles, the first ever to be presented in Los Angeles.

LA Opera commemorates the 250th anniversary of the death of George Frideric Handel with the Company premiere of Tameriano, starring Plácido Domingo, and the US premiere of Franz Schreker’s The Stigmatized as part of the Company’s Recovered Voices project, which highlights the works of composers affected by the Holocaust. This will be the first time that an opera by Schreker will be staged in the Western Hemisphere. A perennial favorite, Rossini’s The Barber of Seville returns to the LA Opera stage in a delightful Emilio Sagi production from the Teatro Real in Madrid, with Michele Mariotti conducting. This season will conclude with four presentations of Wagner’s complete Ring cycle. James Conlon conducts an extraordinary cast of internationally acclaimed Wagnerians in Das Rheingold, while Plácido Domingo, "the world’s greatest Siegmund” (The Associated Press) stars in Die Walküre. Maestro Conlon will also conduct Siegfried, and Gotterdammerung with John Treleaven as Siegfried and soprano Linda Watson as Brünnhilde.

For more information about this free American Opera series, please contact Carol Martinez at (773) 279-2112, e-mail: cmartinez@wfmt.com

General Information:

 For complete cast and other information visit the LA Opera On Air website.

Chicago Broadcast Information

Where to listen: National Carriage List

*Local stations may air operas at times different than those listed below.  Please contact your local station to confirm broadcast times.

Opera Information:

PROGRAM #: LAO 10-01
RELEASE DATE: July 10, 2010

OPERA: TAMERLANO (in Italian)
COMPOSER: George Frideric Handel

CAST:
Tamerlano - Bejun Mehta
Bajazet - Plácido Domingo
Princess Asteria - Sarah Coburn
Andronico - Patricia Bardon
Irene - Jennifer Holloway
Leone - Ryan McKinny

CONDUCTOR: William Lacey
STAGE DIRECTOR: Chas Rader-Shieber
LA OPERA ORCHESTRA

APPROX. LENGTH: 3 hours 30 minutes

PROGRAM #: LAO 10-02
RELEASE: July 17, 2010

OPERA: THE BARBER OF SEVILLE (in Italian)
COMPOSER: Gioachino Rossini

CAST:
Figaro - Nathan Gunn
Count Almaviva - Juan Diego Flórez
Rosina - Joyce DiDonato
Doctor Bartolo - Bruno Praticò
Don Basilio - Andrea Silvestrelli
Berta - Kerri Marcinko
Fiorello - José Adán Pérez
Sergeant - Craig Colclough

CONDUCTOR: Michele Mariotti
STAGE DIRECTOR: Javier Ulacia
LA OPERA ORCHESTRA & CHORUS
CHORUS MASTER: Grant Gershon

APPROX. LENGTH: 3 hours 30 minutes

PROGRAM #: LAO 10-03
RELEASE: July 24, 2010

OPERA: DAS RHEINGOLD (in German)
COMPOSER: Richard Wagner

CAST:
Wotan - Vitalij Kowaljow
Loge - Arnold Bezuyen
Alberich - Gordon Hawkins
Mime - Graham Clark
Fricka - Michelle DeYoung
Erda - Jill Grove
Fasolt - Morris Robinson
Fafner - Eric Halfvarson
Donner - Wayne Tigges
Froh - Beau Gibson
Freia - Ellie Dehn
Woglinde - Stacey Tappan
Wellgunde - Lauren McNeese
Flosshilde - Beth Clayton

CONDUCTOR: James Conlon
LA OPERA ORCHESTRA

APPROX. LENGTH: 3 hours

PROGRAM #: LAO 10-04
RELEASE: July 31, 2010

OPERA: DIE WALKÜRE (in German)
COMPOSER: Richard Wagner
CAST:
Siegmund - Plácido Domingo
Sieglinde - Anja Kampe
Brünnhilde - Linda Watson
Wotan - Vitalij Kowaljow
Hunding - Eric Halfvarson
Fricka - Michelle DeYoung
Gerhilde - Ellie Dehn
Helmwige - Susan Foster
Waltraute - Erica Brookhyser
Schwertleite - Ronnita Nicole Miller
Ortlinde - Melissa Citro
Siegrune - Buffy Baggott
Grimgerde - Jane Gilbert
Rossweisse - Margaret Thompson
CONDUCTOR: James Conlon
LA OPERA ORCHESTRA

APPROX. LENGTH: 4 hours 30 minutes

PROGRAM #: LAO 10-05
RELEASE: August 7, 2010

OPERA: SIEGFRIED (in German)
COMPOSER: Richard Wagner

CAST:
Siegfried - John Treleaven
Mime - Graham Clark
The Wanderer - Vitalij Kowaljow
Brünnhilde - Linda Watson
Alberich - Oleg Bryjak
Fafner - Eric Halfvarson
Erda - Jill Grove
Woodbird - Stacey Tappan

CONDUCTOR: James Conlon
STAGE DIRECTOR: Achim Freyer
LA OPERA ORCHESTRA & CHORUS
CHORUS MASTER: Grant Gershon
APPROX. LENGTH: 5 hours

PROGRAM #: LAO 10-06
RELEASE: August 14, 2010

OPERA: GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG (in German)
COMPOSERS: Richard Wagner

CAST:
Brünnhilde - Linda Watson
Siegfried - John Treleaven
Hagen - Eric Halfvarson
Gunther - Alan Held
Gutrune - Jennifer Wilson
Waltraute - Michelle DeYoung
Alberich - Richard Paul Fink
First Norn - Jill Groves
Second Norn - Michelle DeYoung
Third Norn - Melissa Citro
Woglinde - Stacey Tappan
Wellgunde - Lauren McNeese
Flosshilde - Beth Clayton

CONDUCTOR: James Conlon
STAGE DIRECTOR: Achim Freyer
LA OPERA ORCHESTRA & CHORUS
CHORUS MASTER: Grant Gershon

APPROX. LENGTH: 4 hours 30 minutes

PROGRAM #: LAO 10-07
RELEASE: August 21, 2010

OPERA: THE STIGMATIZED (in German)
COMPOSER: Franz Schreker

CAST:
Carlotta Nardi - Anja Kampe
Alviano Salvago - Robert Brubaker
Count Tamare - Martin Gantner
Duke Adorno - James Johnson
Lodovico Nardi - Wolfgang Schöne
CONDUCTOR: James Conlon
STAGE DIRECTOR: Oliver Tambosi
LA OPERA ORCHESTRA & CHORUS
CHORUS MASTER: Grant Gershon

APPROX. LENGTH: 4 hours 15 minutes

PROGRAM #:                      LAO 10-01

RELEASE DATE:                  July 10, 2010

OPERA:                              TAMERLANO (in Italian)

COMPOSER:                       George Frideric Handel

CAST:

Tamerlano                                Bejun Mehta

Bajazet                                     Plácido Domingo

Princess Asteria                        Sarah Coburn

Andronico                                Patricia Bardon

Irene                                        Jennifer Holloway

Leone                                       Ryan McKinny                                    

CONDUCTOR:                       William Lacey

STAGE DIRECTOR:               Chas Rader-Shieber

LA OPERA ORCHESTRA

APPROX. LENGTH:            3 hours 30 minutes

PROGRAM #:                         LAO 10-02

RELEASE:                               July 17, 2010

OPERA:                                   THE BARBER OF SEVILLE (in Italian)

COMPOSER:                          Gioachino Rossini

CAST:

Figaro                                      Nathan Gunn

Count Almaviva                        Juan Diego Flórez

Rosina                                      Joyce DiDonato

Doctor Bartolo             Bruno Praticò

Don Basilio                               Andrea Silvestrelli

Berta                                        Kerri Marcinko

Fiorello                         José Adán Pérez

Sergeant                                   Craig Colclough

CONDUCTOR:                       Michele Mariotti

STAGE DIRECTOR:               Javier Ulacia

LA OPERA ORCHESTRA & CHORUS

CHORUS MASTER:               Grant Gershon             

APPROX. LENGTH:            3 hours 30 minutes

PROGRAM #:                         LAO 10-03

RELEASE:                               July 24, 2010

OPERA:                                   DAS RHEINGOLD (in German)

COMPOSER:                          Richard Wagner

CAST:

Wotan                                      Vitalij Kowaljow

Loge                                        Arnold Bezuyen

Alberich                                   Gordon Hawkins

Mime                                       Graham Clark

Fricka                                      Michelle DeYoung

Erda                                         Jill Grove

Fasolt                                       Morris Robinson

Fafner                                      Eric Halfvarson

Donner                                     Wayne Tigges

Froh                                         Beau Gibson

Freia                                        Ellie Dehn

Woglinde                                  Stacey Tappan

Wellgunde                                Lauren McNeese

Flosshilde                                 Beth Clayton

CONDUCTOR:                       James Conlon

LA OPERA ORCHESTRA

APPROX. LENGTH:            3 hours

PROGRAM #:                         LAO 10-04

RELEASE:                               July 31, 2010

OPERA:                                   DIE WALKÜRE (in German)

COMPOSER:                          Richard Wagner

CAST:

Siegmund                                 Plácido Domingo

Sieglinde                                   Anja Kampe

Brünnhilde                                Linda Watson

Wotan                                      Vitalij Kowaljow

Hunding                                    Eric Halfvarson

Fricka                                      Michelle DeYoung

Gerhilde                                   Ellie Dehn

Helmwige                                 Susan Foster

Waltraute                                 Erica Brookhyser

Schwertleite                              Ronnita Nicole Miller

Ortlinde                                    Melissa Citro

Siegrune                                   Buffy Baggott

Grimgerde                                Jane Gilbert

Rossweisse                               Margaret Thompson

CONDUCTOR:                       James Conlon

LA OPERA ORCHESTRA

APPROX. LENGTH:            4 hours 30 minutes

PROGRAM #:                         LAO 10-05

RELEASE:                               August 7, 2010

OPERA:                                   SIEGFRIED (in German)

COMPOSER:                          Richard Wagner

CAST:

Siegfried                                   John Treleaven

Mime                                       Graham Clark

The Wanderer                          Vitalij Kowaljow

Brünnhilde                                Linda Watson

Alberich                                   Oleg Bryjak

Fafner                                      Eric Halfvarson

Erda                                         Jill Grove

Woodbird                                Stacey Tappan

CONDUCTOR:                       James Conlon

STAGE DIRECTOR:               Achim Freyer

LA OPERA ORCHESTRA & CHORUS

CHORUS MASTER:               Grant Gershon 

APPROX. LENGTH:            5 hours                       

PROGRAM #:                         LAO 10-06

RELEASE:                               August 14, 2010

OPERA:                                   GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG (in German)

COMPOSERS:                        Richard Wagner          

CAST:

Brünnhilde                                Linda Watson

Siegfried                                   John Treleaven

Hagen                                      Eric Halfvarson

Gunther                                    Alan Held

Gutrune                                    Jennifer Wilson

Waltraute                                 Michelle DeYoung

Alberich                                   Richard Paul Fink

First Norn                                Jill Groves

Second Norn                            Michelle DeYoung

Third Norn                               Melissa Citro

Woglinde                                  Stacey Tappan

Wellgunde                                Lauren McNeese

Flosshilde                                 Beth Clayton

CONDUCTOR:                       James Conlon

STAGE DIRECTOR:               Achim Freyer

LA OPERA ORCHESTRA & CHORUS

CHORUS MASTER:               Grant Gershon

APPROX. LENGTH:            4 hours 30 minutes

PROGRAM #:                         LAO 10-07

RELEASE:                               August 21, 2010

OPERA:                                   THE STIGMATIZED (in German)

COMPOSER:                          Franz Schreker

CAST:

Carlotta Nardi                          Anja Kampe

Alviano Salvago                        Robert Brubaker

Count Tamare                          Martin Gantner

Duke Adorno                           James Johnson

Lodovico Nardi                        Wolfgang Schöne

CONDUCTOR:                       James Conlon

STAGE DIRECTOR:               Oliver Tambosi

LA OPERA ORCHESTRA & CHORUS

CHORUS MASTER:               Grant Gershon

APPROX. LENGTH:            4 hours 15 minutes