Inside the Cincinnati Opera Summer Festival
Madame Butterfly, Lucia di Lammermoor, Florencia en el Amazonas and La Traviata take center stage at Music Hall in the 88th Summer Festival

Visit the Cincinnati Opera at www.cincinnatiopera.org to purchase tickets.

WGUC's Naomi Lewin recently met with Evans Miragaes, artistic director for the Cincinnati Opera to discuss the 2008 Summer Festival. Click here to listen to the entire interview from WVXU's Cincinnati Edition.

	Cincinnati Opera 2007 Season Broadcasts Sunday Nights in June at 7:30pm June 1 June 8 June 15 June 22 Gounod: Faust Richard Leech, Ruth Ann Swenson, Denis Sedov; Julius Rudel, conductor Mozart: Cosi Fan Tutte Alexandra Deshorties, Marianna Pizzolato, Nathalie Paulin, Shawn Mathey, Teddy Tahu Rhodes, William Shimell; Stefan Lano, conductor Adams: Nixon in China Robert Orth, Maureen O’Flynn, Thomas Hammons, Mark T. Panuccio; Kristjan Jarvi, conductor Verdi: Aida Lisa Daltirus, Irina Mishura, Richard Margison; conductor Richard Buckley Listen to Evans Miragaes Opera Favorites!

By Giacomo Puccini
June 11, 13 & 15m, 2008
Sung in Italian with English supertitles.

Evans Miragaes on Madame Butterfly

Cincinnati Opera will open its 88th season with Puccini's Madame Butterfly, one of the most popular Italian operas. Based on the play Madame Butterfly by David Belasco, dramatizing a true incident, the gorgeous score and tragic story of love and betrayal have captured the hearts of audiences around the world. Madame Butterfly remains one of the most frequently performed operas; it was last presented by Cincinnati Opera in 2001.

Chinese soprano, Shu-Ying Li brings her "convincing and vocally expressive" (The New York Times) to her Cincinnati Opera debut in the role of Cio-Cio-San. Ms. Li is quickly becoming one of the most sought after interpreters of Puccini's Cio-Cio-San in North America. Frank Lopardo returns with his "effortless, virile, Italianate sound and seamless acting ability" (Cincinnati Enquirer) to sing the role of Pinkerton, following a stellar performance as the womanizing Duke in Rigoletto (2005).

Baritone John Hancock, "an intelligent singer who's made a commanding impression" (The New Yorker), debuts in Cincinnati in the role of Sharpless. Also debuting is Japanese mezzo-soprano Mika Shigematsu, singing the role of Suzuki. Returning to Cincinnati after clever performances as the four servants in The Tales of Hoffmann (2006) is American character tenor Steven Cole singing the role of Goro.

Cincinnati favorite Edoardo Müller, who "led with a sure hand and straddled the worlds of light and dark impressively" (Cincinnati Enquirer) during A Masked Ball (2006), will conduct.

By Gaetano Donizetti
June 26 & 28, 2008
Sung in French with English supertitles.

Lucie de Lammermoor is the French version of Donizetti's 1835 classic Lucia di Lammermoor, as he reworked it in 1839 for the Théâtre de la Renaissance in Paris. In Donizetti's best-known tragic opera, Lucia's hopes to marry her secret love, Edgardo, are dashed when her greedy brother, Enrico, forces her into a financially strategic marriage for his convenience with Arturo. Even her chaplain and tutor Raimondo encourages her to renounce her vow to Edgardo. This French version of the classic Italian opera expands the role of the huntsman Normanno into Gilbert, a scheming character who forces Lucia's brother Enrico to play a more villainous role, and the earlier history of the romance between Lucia and Edgardo is clarified.

Singing the roles of the lovers are two quickly rising stars: American soprano Sarah Coburn and American tenor Mark Panuccio. Ms. Coburn won the hearts of Cincinnatians in her stellar performances of Oscar in A Masked Ball (2006) and Olympia in The Tales of Hoffmann (2006). Of her performances the Cincinnati Enquirer wrote: "Sarah Coburn is a rising star of the kind one feels lucky to witness." Mr. Panuccio brings his "always sweet-toned, supple and graceful, adroitly acted and clear-toned voice" (Opera News) to his starring role debut with Cincinnati Opera as Edgardo. The Cincinnati Enquirer called his recent Cincinnati recital debut "a landmark in the voice world."

French-Canadian baritone Gaétan Laperrière brings his "richly warm, sonorous baritone voice" (Opera News) to his Cincinnati Opera debut in the role of Enrico. Also debuting is Canadian bass Alain Coulombe with a "rich, commanding basso" (Toronto Star) as Raimondo and American tenor John McVeigh with "his bright tenor and animated presence" (Opera News) in the role of Arturo. Tenor Jeremy Cady will sing the role of Gilbert.

Maestro Jean-Marie Zeitouni returns to conduct after leading Cincinnati's dazzling production of L'Étoile (2006).

By Daniel Catán
July 10 & 12, 2008
Sung in Spanish with English supertitles.
A Cincinnati Opera Premiere

After receiving much acclaim in Houston, Seattle, and Los Angeles, Mexican composer Daniel Catán's Florencia en el Amazonas with its lush, romantic music and stunning sets will make its first voyage east to Cincinnati's stage. Inspired by the "magic realism" work of Gabriel García Márquez, the opera tells the story of Florencia Grimaldi, a famous European diva, who takes a steamboat journey down the Amazon River, returning home to give a concert and search for the man whose love gave her a voice. During her journey, Florencia encounters a number of interesting characters on the boat: a young couple in love, an older couple attempting to reignite love, the young reporter Rosalba, and the mythological Riolobo. Although the voyage is ultimately thwarted due to a cholera epidemic, the events of the journey provide valuable self-discovery for the passengers.

Cincinnati Opera's first-ever mainstage opera in Spanish, will include the original Houston Grand Opera production. American soprano Alexandra Coku will make her Cincinnati Opera debut singing the role of Florencia. Of Ms. Coku's recent Houston Grand Opera performance Opera News writes: "a masterpiece of expressivity."

Making his Cincinnati debut in the role of Riolobo, the spirit of the river, is a two-time 2006 Grammy Award winning Panamanian-American baritone Nmon Ford, who brings his "resonating baritone, and his gripping presence" (Opera News) to the role. Also debuting, mezzo-soprano Emily Golden brings her "handsome mezzo-soprano voice, lustrously dark in the mezzo range" (The New York Times) to sing the role of Paula, one of the passengers.

Soprano Shana Blake Hill, referred to in the Los Angeles Times as "an intense young soprano...a standout," debuts in Cincinnati in the role of Rosalba. Mexican tenor Arturo Chacón-Cruz, "a star worth watching" (The Washington Post) sings the role of Arcadio. Native New Mexican baritone Carlos Archuleta sings the role of Alvaro. Of Mr. Archuleta's recent portrayal in Nixon in China, Opera News deemed him an outstanding Nixon and writes "he sang the role beautifully." Turkish bass Burak Bilgili will sing the role of Capitan, after appearing onstage in Cincinnati Opera's 2007 Aida as Ramfis.

The talented American conductor, Steven Mercurio, will be on the podium. Maestro Mercurio has written arrangements for a wide array of artists including Andrea Bocelli, Placido Domingo, Ben Heppner, Bryn Terfel, Marcello Giordani, and Secret Garden.

By Giuseppe Verdi
July 23, 25 & 27m, 2008
Sung in Italian with English supertitles.

Verdi's ever-popular opera, La Traviata, is based on Alexandre Dumas's play, La Dame aux Camélias. The opera tells the story of a Parisian courtesan, Violetta, who falls in love with Alfredo, a young man from a prominent family. They make a new life, sacrificing all to be together, until his family's disapproval of their union forces them apart. In the end, the couple reunites only to be separated again—this time by Violetta's untimely death from consumption. La Traviata was last performed in 2003.

Cuban-American soprano Eglise Gutiérrez makes her company debut as Violetta and brings her "spellbinding performance—magnetic in presence, vibrant in voice” (Financial Times) to Cincinnati.

Acclaimed tenor Richard Leech brings his "first-class voice, looks, acting talent, and charisma" (Opera News) to sing the role of Alfredo. Mr. Leech most recently sang the title role in Faust where he "was warm, lyrical and expressive, yet always controlled" (Cincinnati Post).

French baritone Philippe Rouillon returns to sings the role of Giorgio. Mr. Rouillon thrilled audiences in his 2006 Cincinnati Opera debut when he "projected one of the most formidable voices ever heard on this stage" (Cincinnati Enquirer) as the four villains in The Tales of Hoffmann. Edoardo Müller will conduct.

Ticket information is available by calling Cincinnati Opera at (513) 241-2742 or visiting www.cincinnatiopera.org.