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Martin Mazik – Conductor
The Slovak maestro graduated from the Academy of Music in Bratislava and the University of Music in Vienna, Austria. He has been a frequent guest conductor with the State Philharmonic Orchestra in Kosice and is chief conductor of the Slovakia National Opera. Last season, he magnificently conducted Wichita Grand Opera’s opening production of Don Giovanni and the season finale of La Boheme. With more than 500 performances under his baton in Europe, Maestro Mazik was invited to the United States by Parvan Bakardiev to make his symphonic debut with the Palm Beach Symphony in 2000, and his U.S opera debut with Wichita Grand Opera in 2004.
Jitka Svobodova – Rosalinde
The Czech soprano has won prizes in several domestic and international opera competitions. She has been a principal soloist with the Prague State Opera since 1992, where she has performed such roles as Adina in Donizetti’s Elixer of Love, Pamina in Mozart’s Die Zauberflote, Micaela in Bezet’s Carmen, Liu in Puccini’s Turandot, Marguerite in Gounod’s Faust and Donna Anna in Mozart’s Don Giovanni, to name a few. She is making her U.S. debut as Rosalinde on the Fledermaus tour.
Jan Jezek – Gabriel Von Eisenstein
This versatile Czech tenor studied song and dance in his youth, and won many young singers opera competitions. At the J.K. Tyl Theatre in Pilson, he was immediately assigned a series of roles in operettas, musicals and musical comedies. After a decade of outstanding work there, he was engaged at the Karlin Musical Theatre. In 1991, he joined the Prague State Opera, where he performed for three years as a fixed artist. In 1994, he became a freelance artist, but has continued to perform as a guest artist at the Prague State Opera.
Anna Klamova-Janotova – Adele
The young Czech soprano was a top prizewinner in internation opera competitions in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. She has been a soloist with the Prague State Opera since 2000, where she has performed such roles as Violetta in Verdi’s La Traviata, Adina in Donizett’s Elixer of Love, Olympia in Offenbach’s Tales of Hoffman, Valencienne in Lehar’s Merry Widow, Gilda in Verdi’s Rigoletto, and Musetta in Puccini’s La Boheme, to name a few.
The 3 Prima Donnas
Rachel Priest-O’Hara, Charleen Ayers, Mary Ellen Swords
The 3 Divos
Brian Stranghoner, Patrick Greene, David Camp
Wichita Grand Opera is pleased to present The Three Prima Donnas and The Three Divos in their world premiere performance. The three sopranos and three tenors are all Kansas-based members of Wichita Grand Opera’s Resident Artist Program and have each made numerous other individual appearances.
Marian Rehor – Frank
The Czech baritone studied clarinet and voice at the Prague Academy of Music and Munich Academy of Music. He then began his operatic career with engagements at the Cecske Budejovice Theatre, Opera Furore, Opera Mozart, State Theater Regensburg, State Opera of Bonn and the Prague State Opera, where his is now a principal soloist.
Oldrich Kriz – Dr. Falke
The Czech baritone has been a Prague State Opera soloist for many years, where he has performed the title roles in Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Verdi’s Rigoletto, Verdi’s Macbeth and Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra, to name a few. He has been a guest artist with opera companies in central Europe, and is making his U.S. debut in Die Fledermaus.
Jaromir Novotny – Alfred
The Czech tenor is a top prizewinner of the International Competition in Karlovy Vary and Trnava, and has been a soloist with the Prague State Opera since 1989. His repertoire includes such roles as Edgar in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor, Alfredo in Verdi’s La Traviata, and Florestan in Beethoven’s Fidelio. He has been a guest soloist with opera companies in France, Germany, Netherlands and Austria, and is making his U.S. debut in Die Fledermaus.
Viara Zhelezova – Prince Orlofsky
The talented mezzo-soprano has performed as a principal soloist since 1992 with opera companies in Europe and the United States. She is making her Wichita Grand Opera debut in Die Fledermaus.
Gueorgui Dinev – Frosch
He performed more than 20 years on stage in theater, film and operetta, and is making his Wichita Grand Opera debut with this performance of Die Fledermaus.
Stage Director – Martin Otava
The talented Czech stage director graduated from the Conservatory of Music in Prague, and has been a stage director at the Prague State Opera since 1991. He is a frequent guest stage director with the J.K. Tyl Theatre in Pilsen, the National Theatre in Brno, the F.X. Salda Theatre in Liberec, and the Municipal Theatre in Usti nad Labem. He has been a guest stage director for opera productions and festivals in Japan, Germany, Spain and Austria, and is the chief stage director and co-founder of the annual Opera Air Festival in Prague’s Lichtenstein Palace. He is making his U.S. debut with this outstanding production of Die Fledermaus.
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