Opera at Florham presents La Vie de Boheme, Nov. 7

Five artists live their bohemian dreams

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Opera at Florham is thrilled to bring five artists to the Morristown stage on Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021, at 3pm, to sing their dream roles from Puccini’s La Bohème and other operatic gems.

Soprano Molly Dunn and tenor Frederick Schlick perform the coveted roles of the seamstress Mimi and poet Rudolfo.

Coloratura soprano Jaime Webb fittingly portrays the singer role of Musetta. Baritone Matthew Ciuffitelli soars as Marcello, the painter, and bass-baritone Zachary Elmassian performs the philosopher Colline’s famous “Coat” aria.

Additional selections include French arias and duets from Don Pasquale and Elixir of Love. The afternoon concludes with a full company rendition of “Seasons of Love” from the Bohème-themed Broadway musical, Rent.

The singers are accompanied by Opera at Florham’s Artistic Director, Mary Pinto. Soprano and vocal instructor Mariana Karpotova tells the story of this popular opera about class struggle and poverty in bohemian France in the 1830s.

The concert takes place at St. Margaret Church of Scotland, 6 Sussex Ave. in Morristown. Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for students. They can be purchased onlineor at the door.

Mindful of COVID, Opera at Florham is concerned about the safety and well-being of our patrons and artists. The concert venue is large and airy and adheres to the latest COVID guidelines. Masks are required.

Molly Dunn

Molly Dunn, soprano, noted for her full lyric voice and striking stage presence, made her 2021 debut as La Contessa in Le Nozze di Figaro with the International Summer Opera Festival of Morelia, Mexico. A true crossover performer, Molly began her career in musical theatre with credits such as: Amalia Balash in She Loves Me, Rosa Bud in The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Johanna in Sweeney Todd, and others. She is a winner of the 2019 Vienna Summer Music Festival Competition. She is the creator of Zombie Opera in Jersey City, and founder and Artistic Director of LUX Performing Arts.

 

Jaime Webb

Jaime Webb, coloratura soprano, is the Soprano Holland Community Opera Fellow at Opera Omaha where she is scheduled to sing scenes as Lucia and Cunegonde in their season opening. She served as the Resident Artist Soprano for the University of Georgia Opera Theatre where she performed Norina in Don Pasquale, Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor, and Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia. During the 2020-2021 season, Webb made her debut as Susanna in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro in the International Summer Opera Festival of Morelia, Mexico. She also sang and performed in Masterclasses with Ailyn Pérez, Danielle Orlando, and Kristine Opolais.

 

Frederick Schlick

Frederick Schlick, tenor, praised for his “tender power” (Opera Wire), has a Master’s in Opera Performance from The Boston Conservatory. He made his professional debut as Young Jim Thompson in Tom Cipullo’s Glory Denied with Pensacola Opera in 2016 and later reprised the role with Tri-Cities Opera. The 2018 -2019 season marked his NYC debut with City Lyric Opera as Nemorino in Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore, Don José in La Tragédie de Carmen, and Alfred in Die Fledermaus. In 2020 he sang Rodolfo in Lancaster Opera’s La Bohème and Opera at Florham in Un Pomeriggio in Italia. He became a Nashville Opera resident artist in 2021. He lives in Westchester, NY where he is a music teacher and web developer.

Matthew Ciuffitelli

Matthew Ciuffitelli, baritone, is described as “truly an anthem of our times” by Classic FM regarding Matthew’s ‘Figaro’ parody among others as Opera Guy during the pandemic. He appeared as Eisenstein in Amore Opera’s Die Fledermaus, Prince Yamadori in New Jersey Festival Orchestra’s Madama Butterfly and as Angelotti in Tosca. He performed at Sarasota Opera as a resident artist as the Official Registrar in Madama Butterfly. Matthew sang in Broadway’s 10th Anniversary Concert of A Tale of Two Cities as Gabel. He performed with the Rolling Stones at Chicago’s United Center. Matthew was the winner of the 2018 New Jersey State Opera Competition Award.

Zachary Elmassian

Zachary Elmassian, bass-baritone, is praised for his “terrific vocals” and notable acting abilities. A graduate of the Merola Opera Program, he sang Masetto in Don Giovanni, directed by Sherrill Milnes, Czech Republic. Zachary, a resident artist with Florida Grand Opera, appeared in Don Pasquale, The Barber of Seville, and The Passenger. Other roles include Gianni Schicchi; Don Alfonso in Cosi fan tutti; Pooh-Bah in The Mikado; and the Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance. In 2014, Zachary attended Lorin Maazel’s Castleton Festival, singing the role of Official Registrar in Madama Butterfly.

 

Mary PInto

Mary Pinto is an acclaimed accompanist and vocal coach who has worked with international opera singers and major American opera companies around the world. She is Artistic Director at Opera at Florham. In 2021, Ms. Pinto coached and directed scenes at the Summer Opera Festival of Morelia, Mexico, and coached at the Queens Summer Vocal Institute. In the fall of 2020, she performed at Black Opera’s tribute to honor the 75th Birthday of Jessye Norman. She is on the faculty of Montclair State University and has voice coaching studios in New Jersey and NYC.

After the concert, join Pinto at 8pm with renowned conductor Jason Tramm for his podcast, Music Matters. Mary will discuss the “Art of the Collaborative Pianist,” which will include reflections on La Vie de Boheme, the concert she arranged, directed and performed in earlier in the day. Tune in here.

Our 2021-22 concert series continues on Dec. 5 with Winter Spectacular; on March 27, with Love, Death and Redemption; and May 1 with our International Vocal Competition.

Opera at Florham is also offering a fall Opera Lecture series with music educator Lou Barrella. The final presentation Exploring Similar Dramatic Scenes in Film and Opera is held on Saturday, November 13 from 10:30 am to noon at the Kremmerer Library in Harding, NJ. The lecture is free. Walk-ins are welcome.

Opera at Florham, located in northern New Jersey, presents professional vocalists in recital, concert, and competition from opera to musical theatre. The artists perform classics and rarities of opera and related musical repertoire enhanced by stories, history and facts about the music.

A 501(c)3 not-for-profit founded 39 years ago, the opera company’s mission is to bring Opera to Everyone by offering low-cost, high-quality events at home and out in the community; and to support young professional singers through performance opportunities and vocal competitions.

Funding has been made possible in part by funds from the Morris Arts Council through the New Jersey State Council of the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.


 

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