The Western New York Chamber Orchestra, a professional ensemble-in-residence at Fredonia, will present a staged concert production of Mozart's operatic masterpiece, “Don Giovanni,” on Sunday, March 29, at 4 p.m. in King Concert Hall.
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| Gregory Sheppard | Michael Hawk | Danielle Beckvermit | |
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| Stephanie Doche | Jared Allyn Decker | ||
Special guest artist Gregory Sheppard (bass), artistic director of Opera Ebony in New York City, will sing the role of the Commendatore. He will be joined by Fredonia alumni artists and current students in the Opera Program in the School of Music that include: junior Michael Hawk of Fredonia as Don Giovanni; senior Danielle Beckvermit of Kingston as Donna Anna; senior Jared Allyn Decker of Kerhonkson as Leporello; and alumna Stephanie Doche, ’14, of Rochester, N.Y., as Donna Elvira. Sheppard is a member of the voice faculty at John Jay College (CUNY) in New York and has an international resume of performances.
The concert is the fifth production in an ongoing collaboration between the Western New York Chamber Orchestra and Fredonia's Opera Program. The opportunity for student artists to experience operatic training in a professional environment is a rare opportunity and unique amongst SUNY campuses.
Serving key roles in the production are: Glen Cortese, music director; Fredonia voice faculty member Brent Weber, stage director; Julie Newell, Fredonia Opera Program director and WNYCO executive director, producer; Fredonia graduate student Matthew Marco, assistant conductor and vocal coach; and senior Dance major Allen Wheaton, technical director.
The performance at King is free to all Fredonia college students who show a student ID. Tickets for the general public are $22 and $5 for younger school-aged students/children, and are available at the Fredonia Ticket Office in the Williams Center.
An additional performance will be held in Buffalo on Friday, March 27, at 7:30 p.m., at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 1080 Main St. Tickets for the March 27 concert will be available at the door, preceding the performance. Information on the event is available by calling Holy Trinity at 716-886-2400.
