Dear Opera Lovers, We invite you to join us once again as the lights dim and the curtain rises on Wichita Grand Opera’s Magnificent Seventh International Season. Richly produced music, exhilarating theatrical productions, and passionate stories of life, love, and hilarity will leap from the stage, transporting you to another world: the world of opera.
Throughout our brief history, we have presented many unforgettable performances, and last season was our most successful ever. However, we at the Wichita Grand Opera will not rest on our laurels in 2008-2009. With exotic settings, magnificent voices, and superb music in store, we anticipate this spectacular season will be our greatest and most successful to date. Join us as we open the season with Gilbert & Sullivan’s greatest comedic hit, H.M.S. Pinafore, directed by Metropolitan Opera bass and outstanding director John Stephens, who directed last season’s hilarious Pirates of Penzance. Patrick Greene, an outstanding tenor who resides in Wichita, will sing the role of Ralph Rackstraw. The hilarious Earl Levine returns to WGO's stage as Sir Joseph Porter, First Lord of the Admiralty, and baritone John Tedeschi makes his WGO debut as the Boatswain. As an exciting treat for our audiences we also welcome José Porcel, Spain’s most highly acclaimed dancer, as the grace of dance and passion of song combine in the sensual artistic explosion of Flamenco Español. Ballet returns to Wichita this January as the Russian National Ballet Theatre performs Cinderella, everyone’s favorite fairy tale, starring Russia’s prima ballerina Marianna Chemalina. Your breath will be taken away this February by the chemistry between a dazzling pair of artists making their Wichita debuts this season, Russian soprano Olga Chernisheva and Romanian tenor Viorel Saplacan. They will be joined by Kansas native Scott Conner, a WGO Young Artist and recent winner of the Metropolitan Opera’s District Award, in Aida, the Grandest of all Grand Operas. Making his WGO debut as the Messenger is Paul Smith, a tenor already known to German audiences who has recently relocated to Wichita. The cast of over 150 will be led by a team, well-known to WGO audiences, of Maestro Ekhart Wycik, director Shayna Leahy, and choreographer Diane Gans. A familiar face returns to WGO’s stage as Larisa Yudina, the star soprano of Russia’s Mariinsky Theatre who captivated WGO’s audience as Lucia di Lammermoor, offers a Valentine’s Day performance of Bizet’s most-often requested yet least-often produced romantic opera, The Pearl Fishers. Fiery Latin-American tenor Genaro Mendez co-stars as the fisherman Nadir. Opposite them as the jealous village chieftain, Zurga, is William Browning, a native Wichitan and member of WGO’s Resident Artist Program. Direcotr Herbert Kellner, well-known for his productions at Lyric Opera of Chicago and Los Angeles Opera among many others, makes his WGO debut. WGO Artistic Director Margaret Ann Pent, who oversees set and costume design throughout the season, wil pesonally design the sets and costumes for The Pearl Fishers. In March we welcome back to Wichita the Moiseev Russian Classical Ballet, under the guidance of the legendary soloist of the Bolshoi Ballet, Vladimir Moiseev, in the beloved ballet masterpiece Swan Lake. Saving the best for last, I am honored to welcome international superstar and Kansas native Joyce DiDonato for her professional debut in her home state. She will star as Rosina, her signature role, in Rossini’s raucously hilarious Barber of Seville. Co-starring is the brilliant Italian bass-baritone Stefano de Peppo as the overbearing Doctor Bartolo. Rising star William Browning returns for his title role debut as the mischievous barber Figaro. Three outstanding Maestros will take command of Wichita Grand Opera’s cast, chorus, and orchestra this season. First to take the helm, in his WGO debut, is American conductor Louis Salemno, who has been a frequent conductor in major opera houses around the world. Returning to Wichita Grand Opera are two audience favorites: Ekhart Wycik, Principal Conductor of Germany’s Dortmund Opera, and Martin Mazik, Principal Conductor of the Slovak National Opera. This is sure to be a Magnificent Seventh Season for Wichita Grand Opera, full of glorious music, drama, and dance. I urge you not to miss out on these spectacular performances; opera theaters across the country are filling rapidly as audiences rush to experience the magic of opera, and last season five of Wichita Grand Opera’s productions drew capacity crowds. I’ll see you all at the opera!
Operatically Yours, Parvan Bakardiev President & CEO