By Cris Franco
The program’s operatic stars include the visually and vocally voluptuous soprano Shana Blake Hill; the dark and hypnotic mezzo-soprano Audry Babcock; tenor great Alex Boyer and world-renowned baritone Robert Perlas Gomez will headline the Verdi Chorus on Nov. 12 & 13.
Joining this season’s stellar talents are the stars of tomorrow’s opera stages and recital halls, namely the members of the Chorus’s Apprentice Singers program which includes soprano Ariana Flores, mezzo Bianca Gutierrez and tenor Cesar Ballardin. Each of these up-and-coming artists will receive a scholarship to broaden their music studies. Of the opportunity to sing alongside such musical luminaries, Ms. Gutierrerz says, “It means a lot for me. I feel blessed with this amazing opportunity because I’m learning a lot. It’s completely different than other courses or masterclasses that I’ve taken. The Verdi Chorus is an excellent organization. Full of good energy and positivism.”
Following the many months of COVID shut-down, conductor Anne Marie Ketchum says, “I am so excited for this upcoming concert, and profoundly grateful that the Verdi Chorus can once again safely sing in person. It’s something our Verdi Chorus family has longed for continually over the past year and a half,” she told us. “The title of our concert, Ritorna Vincitori! is taken from one of the most famous and recognizable arias in Verdi’s Aida, in which Aida wishes for the victorious return of her lover. And now music has returned victoriously in the most personal way. Through these past weeks of rehearsal, it has become clearer than ever how much we need the arts, and in particular, the ability to experience the arts in person. It is through this experience we maintain not only our sanity but the very core of what makes us human.”
Following the long COVID shut-down, all the performers are anxious about their return to live performing. Especially Mr. Ballardin who said, “I am thrilled to see people filling the seats in the house. Being able to sing for a live audience completes the opera experience. Without the audience, it just feels like a rehearsal. The audience plays a huge role in how we perform because we feed off of their energy.”
If you’re ready for an energizing evening of world-class voices singing the greatest music ever written, log onto: www.verdichorus.org
Featured Photo: Bianca Gutierrez and César Ballardin (Photo: Verdi Chorus)