AUSTIN, Texas - Feb. 6, 2020 - Love, sorcery, and tragic opera—what better way to spend Valentine's Day Weekend? LOLA (Local Opera Local Artists) and Panoramic Voices (both Austin Critics Table Award Winners) present Henry Purcell's stunningly beautiful late 17th century baroque masterpiece, Dido and Aeneas February 14 & 15 at 8pm. The performances will be held at St. Martin's Church, 606 West 15th Street, Austin, TX 78701.
This is the first collaboration from two Austin 501c art institutions. The production fuses brilliant operatic talent, a professional chamber orchestra, and a breathtaking symphonic chorus. Music is directed by Brent Baldwin with stage direction by Rebecca Herman and Choreography by Erica Gionfriddo.
The cast includes Ivy Cantu, making her LOLA and Panoramic Voices debut, as Queen Dido, and the renowned, powerful baritone David Small in the role of Aeneas. Two sopranos will be making their debuts: Jihee Han making her LOLA and Panoramic Voices debut as Belinda, Dido's confidant, and Natalie Howard, making her LOLA debut as the Sorceress with a vendetta. Rounding out the cast are mezzo Julie Silva as Second Woman, soprano Mary Kettlewell as First Witch, mezzo Jessica Blau as Second Witch, tenor Jeffrey Jones Ragona as The Sailor, and countertenor Holt Skinner as The Spirit.
In addition to Purcell's work, a premier of the choral piece Forgiveness by Austin-based composer Carlos Alberto Cordero Garcia featuring soprano Katrina Saporsantos will be performed prior to the opera. This piece is a commission by Panoramic Voices.
Tickets: Tickets are available on a sliding scale from $10–$40 with VIP priority seating available for $50. Tickets may be found at LOLAaustin.org and PanoramicVoices.org.
A portion of the proceeds will benefit the SIMS Foundation. SIMS provides mental health and substance use recovery services for musicians, music industry professionals, and their families to support the well-being of the Austin community.
This project is supported in part by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department.
Media Contact
Panoramic Voices
chorus_manager@panoramicvoices.org
