Hahn Hall to Screen Simulcast of 'Aida'
For Immediate Release October 15, 2009
Contact:
Tim Dougherty
805.695.7908
Santa Barbara, CA – A spectacularly lavish production of Aida, Giuseppe Verdi's epic tale of love and divided loyalty, will be the focus of the Metropolitan Opera's next "Live in HD" simulcast of the 2009-10 season at the Music Academy of the West. The Music Academy's Hahn Hall will air the live simulcast at 10 am on Saturday, October 24, followed by encore screenings at 6 pm October 24 and at 2 pm on Sunday, October 25. Tickets cost $25; students with identification pay $10 at the door. Free parking is available on the Music Academy campus.
Set in ancient Egypt, Aida is part heartbreaking love story and part sweeping historical drama. Since its premiere in Cairo in 1871, Verdi's work has enjoyed widespread appeal as an opera of unique theatrical and expressive power. The Met's monumental production stars soprano Violeta Urmana in the title role as an enslaved Ethiopian princess who is torn between her love for the Egyptian warrior Radamès (tenor Johan Botha) and allegiance to her native country. The powerhouse cast also includes baritone Carlo Guelfi as Aida's father, the embattled Ethiopian king Amonasro, and mezzo-soprano Dolora Zajick, reprising her legendary interpretation of Amneris, Aida's lovelorn romantic rival. Director Sonja Frisell's impressive production features elaborate sets (by Gianni Quaranta) and costumes (by Dada Saligeri) that evoke the pageantry and grandeur of pharaonic Egypt. Daniele Gatti conducts.
The 2009-10 "Live in HD" season at the Music Academy kicked off October 10 with a live simulcast of Puccini's Tosca. Following Aida, the series will continue on November 7 and 8 with a production of Puccini's Turandot, directed by Franco Zeffirelli and starring acclaimed soprano Maria Guleghina in the title role. The Met has announced that its "Live in HD" series will feature nine simulcasts for 2009-10. Upcoming highlights include the January 16 performance of Bizet's Carmen, starring Elīna Garanča and Roberto Alagna. Metropolitan Opera simulcasts in Hahn Hall begin at 10 am local time on Saturdays, with encore screenings at 2 pm Sundays. In response to the overwhelming demand for "Live in HD" tickets this season, the Music Academy is offering the following additional encore screenings: Aida at 6 pm on Saturday, October 24; Turandot at 6:30 pm on Saturday, November 7; and Les Contes d'Hoffmann at 6 pm on Saturday, December 19. An announcement regarding additional screenings will be made soon. Complete "Live in HD" schedule information is available online at www.musicacademy.org/about-us/special-events.
Under an agreement announced last year, the Music Academy became one of about 70 nonprofit organizations to participate in the Met's groundbreaking "Live in HD" series. Launched in December 2006, the series features live transmissions of Met Opera performances to select venues in more than 40 countries throughout the world. Most participating venues are movie theaters. The transmissions are in high definition, and performances are captured using robotic cameras and other advanced technologies. As a result, simulcast viewers can see the onstage action from striking angles and enjoy a heightened awareness of the narrative elements of both the performance and the production. Simulcasts also include behind-the-scenes features, live interviews with cast and crew, and insightful short documentaries.
The series has met with impressive commercial and critical success, prompting the Met to increase the number of transmissions and to rapidly expand its pool of participating venues. Music Academy benefactors Leatrice Luria and Leslie Ridley-Tree funded the technology necessary to simulcast the Met transmissions in Hahn Hall.
For more information, call 969-8787.
Founded in 1947, the Music Academy of the West is among the nation's preeminent summer schools and festivals for gifted young classical musicians. The Academy provides these promising musicians with the opportunity for advanced study and frequent performance under the guidance of internationally renowned faculty artists, guest conductors, and soloists. Admission to the Academy is strictly merit based, and Fellows receive full scholarships (tuition, room, and board). Academy alumni are members of major symphony orchestras, chamber orchestras, ensembles, opera companies, and university and conservatory faculties throughout the world. Many enjoy careers as prominent solo artists. Based in Santa Barbara, the Music Academy of the West presents more than 200 public events annually, including performances by faculty, visiting artists, and Fellows; masterclasses; orchestra and chamber music concerts; and fully staged opera. The Music Academy began screening live performances by the world-renowned Metropolitan Opera at Hahn Hall in October 2008. For more information, visit www.musicacademy.org.
