Knoxville Opera General Director and Conductor Brian Salesky is proud to officially announce the company’s 2008-2009 season.  Maestro Salesky commented, “I am thrilled to let our community know that along with a season of hot productions and hot artists, we are entering our fourth decade debt-free for the third consecutive year.  This intriguing season has something for everyone, and our youngest fans will really enjoy interacting with our new, real-life mascot, ‘Rossini.’”

On October 10, the company reprises its Oktoberfest! (sold-out last season) at The Foundry.  Unlimited German buffet, beer and wine is accompanied by staged scenes from favorite Sigmund Romberg operettas The Student PrinceThe New Moon (“Lover, Come Back to Me”).  Tenor Ta’u Pupu’a, a former NFL player who made a big impression here last year, returns to knock out the big romantic songs. (“Drink, Drink, Drink”) and The New Moon ("Lover, Come Back to Me").  Tenor Ta'u Pupu'a, a former NFL player who made a big impression here last year, returns to knock out the big romantic songs.

November 1 brings an exciting two-part Halloween Spectacular at the Tennessee Theatre.  Stephen Brown’s annual Glitterville Orange and Black Masquerade costume party in the magnificent lobby will be followed by a concert featuring highlights from Phantom of the Opera, Sweeney Todd, The Tales of Hoffman and Mefistofele.  Baritone Daniel Sumegi, last season’s fabulous Scarpia, returns to assume the four deadly devil roles.  The Knoxville Symphony Orchestra will play dance music at the party and accompany the concert.

Next up at the Tennessee Theatre is Verdi’s beloved Rigoletto on February 13 and 15, featuring the tune everyone loves to hum leaving the theatre: “La donna è mobile.”  The tragic story of a young girl’s love betrayed by a philandering duke will be presented in Italian with projected English translations.  The blockbuster cast features Cuban baritone Nelson Martinez, international soprano Talise Trevigne, and New York City Opera tenor Dinyar Vania, all under the direction of Carroll Freeman.

The company then offers Knoxville’s most exclusive, romantic Valentine’s Day party, From Paris with Love.   Only 150 tickets are available for this February 14 dinner concert on the stage of the Tennessee Theatre featuring French cuisine and wine along with a buffet of delicious French opera, operetta and songs.

The season’s grand finale is the 8th Annual Knoxville Opera Rossini Festival.  Performances of Leoncavallo’s immortal Pagliacci take place on April 25 (day of the Italian Street Fair) and 26.  Long before Pavarotti, this was the opera that made a star of Enrico Caruso.  Iconic images of the opera include the photograph of Caruso in the clown’s costume, Groucho Marx singing the opera’s most famous aria “Ridi, Pagliaccio” in A Night at the Opera, and Robert DeNiro as Al Capone crying while attending the opera in The Untouchables.  The opera will be presented in Italian with projected English translations at the Tennessee Theatre.  The cast, under the direction of international opera star Catherine Malfitano, includes New York City Opera tenor Michael Hayes, Michigan Opera Theatre soprano Samia Bahu, and Tanglewood Festival baritone Scott Bearden.

Copies of the 2008-2009 brochure as well as tickets for all performances are available by calling the Knoxville Opera Box Office at (865) 524-0795, extension 1.

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Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved.