Music of Gershwin, Porter, Berlin, Rodgers, Van Heusen, Mozart, and Salieri. Starring Amanda Olea, Page Michels, Stephanie Doche, Charles Calotta, Michael Pandolfo, and Erik Danielson
JAZZ CONCERT
March 18, 7:30 p.m., Dillard High School (Broward County)
March 19, 7:30 p.m., Sandrell Rivers Theater (Miami)
MOZART VS SALIERI
March 24, 7:30 p.m., St. Philip’s Episcopal Church (Miami)
March 25, 7:30 p.m., Center for Spiritual Living (Broward)
Miami and Fort Lauderdale, FL, February 22, 2021 — Florida Grand Opera Studio Artists jazz up their repertoire and collaborate with students from Dillard High School to take on the Great American Songbook. The talented young artists will cross genres to perform works by George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Jimmy Van Heusen, and more in favorites like “I Get a Kick Out of You,” “Cheek to Cheek,” “Blue Moon,” and “Call Me Irresponsible.” The hour-long Jazz Concert on March 18 and 19 is part of FGO’s special “Singing at the Sandrell” and “Singing in Broward County” concert series.
“This is a celebration of American composers and the musical experience in the early twentieth century,” says Matt Cooksey, FGO’s Artist Services Manager and lecturer for the Mainstage pre-opera talks. “You get to hear virtuosic vocal artists interpret a type of music that can go anywhere. This is also a very important collaboration with Dillard High School. We’ll be rehearsing with them for a week and expect that they will be the experts on some of this music. We’ll be learning from each other.”
On March 24 and 25, the Studio Artists get back to classical business by addressing the famous rivalry between the great composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his contemporary, Antonio Salieri, popularized in the 1984 film Amadeus. Designed for the music lover who enjoys a side of fun facts along with their arias, the Songfest Series concert “Mozart vs. Salieri” features dueling excerpts from Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, The Magic Flute, Così fan tutte, and Salieri’s La grotto di Tronfonio, La scuola de’ gelosi, Armida, and Prima la musica, poi la parole, and more. The hour-long concert features Matt Cooksey providing historical context over the very real clash of the composers.
Visit www.fgo.org for tickets.
Directed by Artistic Administrator Mitchell Roe and under the artistic leadership of General Director and CEO Susan T. Danis, the FGO Studio enjoys an international reputation as a highly competitive and comprehensive career development program. The young professionals chosen demonstrate extraordinary potential for significant contributions to the field of opera. Graduates of the program include Grammy-winning soprano Jessica E. Jones, Metropolitan Opera bass-baritone Craig Colclough, and Miami’s own international star soprano, Elizabeth Caballero, who recently appeared to great acclaim as Blanche DuBois in FGO’s season opener, A Streetcar Named Desire.
The FGO Studio was established in 1984 to help emerging artists transition from journeymen to full-fledged professional opera singers. Members live in Miami from October through May, committing to an intense and individualized program of study and performance, including special training in singing, movement, and languages, while learning on their feet in various performance opportunities. They sing major and supporting roles in mainstage productions, where they work with world-renowned singers, directors, and conductors. They also perform concerts, recitals, and educational outreach events in numerous venues across Miami and Fort Lauderdale. Residencies typically last up to two years. The 2021-22 Studio Artists will perform mainstage roles in Rigoletto, the Florida premiere of Fellow Travelers, and Agrippina.
Face Masks are required to be worn at all times.