Rossini desperately wanted to be successful, respected, and loved. While every composer shares these ambitions, rarely do all three come to fruition in his or her lifetime. However, Gioachino Rossini did just that. As part of the series of events organized on the 150th anniversary of Rossini’s death, join us for a journey through the composer’s life and works presented by Maestro Anthony Walker in collaboration the Washington Concert Opera.
Artistic Director of Washington Concert Opera, Maestro Walker is an acclaimed opera conductor and expert on Rossini’s work. His presentation will focus on Rossini’s works featured in past and upcoming WCO seasons, with performances from Il Barbiere di Siviglia, La Cenerentola, Semiramide, Zelmira, Stabat Mater and more, featuring soprano Natalie Conte, mezzo-soprano Corrie Stallings, tenor Timothy Augustin.
presented in collaboration with
LOCATION
Embassy of Italy
3000 Whitehaven Street NW
Washington, DC 20008
REGISTRATION & PHOTO ID REQUIRED
DOORS OPEN 30 MINUTES PRIOR EVENT START-TIME
Due to new safety regulations, we are not allowed to add extra seats to the auditorium or let anyone stand. A registration is not a guarantee of a seat as these are assigned on a first-come first-served basis.
RESERVATIONS ACCEPTED EXCLUSIVELY THROUGH EVENTBRITE. NO PHONE OR EMAIL RSVP AVAILABLE
About WCO
Founded in 1986 by Stephen Crout, Washington Concert Opera has shaped the way concert opera is presented in the DC area. Washington Concert Opera produces high quality, seldom performed masterpieces of the operatic repertoire in concert form at the company’s artistic home, Lisner Auditorium of George Washington University. WCO has been revered as, “integral to the musical fabric of the city” (The Washington Post) and praised by Opera News for, “performances of the highest order.” Washington Concert Opera has performed nearly 60 operas in concert format, with a roster of world-renowned artists including Stephanie Blythe, Lawrence Brownlee, Renée Fleming, Michael Fabiano, Elizabeth Futral, Denyce Graves, Ben Heppner, Deborah Voigt, and more. Washington Concert Opera is committed to making opera vital and relevant for all audiences, and strives to become a nationally and internationally recognized opera company by making exceptional contributions to the field through its distinctive mission. WCO has undergone initiatives to blend opera into the community by partnering with local elementary and secondary schools to introduce young people to opera. A young professionals group provides not only discounts for members, but also networking opportunities in a dynamic and fun environment. Partnerships with local universities give students knowledge in the field of opera and expand their professional development. Looking to the future, Washington Concert Opera will continue to provide outstanding performances for years to come. The programs and educational endeavors, which are the staple of the organization, are expanding at an exponential rate. The exceptional performances we are known for will continue to delight audiences and build an ever-growing cultural life into the area. Through many community partnerships, WCO will serve its community in ways that uplift the life and sense of well-being for all.
Antony Walker
Maestro Walker is Artistic Director and Conductor of Washington Concert Opera, Music Director of Pittsburgh Opera, and Conductor Emeritus of Pinchgut Opera in his native Sydney, Australia.
Mo. Walker made his debut with the Metropolitan Opera in 2011 with Orfeo ed Euridice and since then has conducted The Barber of Seville, Les pêcheurs de perles, a Metropolitan Opera National Council Grand Finals concert, and most recently The Magic Flute, all at Lincoln Center. Other recent conducting appearances include Opera di Firenze (Semiramide), West Australian Opera (Le nozze di Figaro), Opera Australia (Carmen, Falstaff) Washington National Opera (Dialogues of the Carmelites), English National Opera (The Tales of Hoffmann), Pittsburgh Opera (the World Premier of Daniel Sonnenberg’s The Summer King, Tosca, The Marriage of Figaro, Turandot, Salome, The Rake’s Progress, Nabucco, Così, Carmen, La fille du régiment, Otello, La bohème, Philip Glass’ Orphée, Aida), Washington Concert Opera (Leonore, Hérodiade, 30th Anniversary Celebration of Bel Canto, La Favorite, Semiramide, Guntram, I Capuleti e i Montecchi, Il corsaro, I masnadieri), Santa Fe Opera (Madama Butterfly), Canadian Opera Company (Maria Stuarda), Wolf Trap Opera (The Touchstone, Giulio Cesare), as well as the Australian premiere of Haydn’s Armida with Pinchgut Opera.
Other career highlights include engagements with Welsh National Opera, New York City Opera, Teatro Comunale Bologna, Orchestre Colonne (Paris), Merola Program at the San Francisco Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Glimmerglass Festival, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Vancouver Opera, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, and Sydney Opera House Orchestra. Mo. Walker is the recipient of the distinguished Sir Charles Mackerras Conducting Award, the Churchill Fellowship and the Queens Trust Award, and the Green Room Award for his conducting of Alcina for Opera Australia. Mo. Walker was among five notable conductors nominated for the DORA Award in the category of Best Musical Direction following his acclaimed performance of Canadian Opera Company’s Maria Stuarda.
In the 2017-18 season, Maestro Walker conducts La straniera and Maria di Rohan with Washington Concert Opera; Tosca, The Marriage of Figaro and Moby-Dick for Pittsburgh Opera; the Rossini Stabat Mater for The Choral Arts Society of Washington, DC; a concert including Vaughan Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem and Prokofiev’s Alexander Nevsky for SUNY Potsdam; and Carmen for West Australian Opera.
Natalie Conte
Soprano Natalie Conte is in high demand for her solo work in the Washington, D.C. region and beyond. Operatic performances include Countess (Le nozze di Figaro) with the Operafestival di Roma, the title role in Aida with Center Stage Opera, Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte) with Opera Lancaster and Baltimore Concert Opera, La Ciesca (Gianni Schicci) with Baltimore Concert Opera, and Anna (Nabucco) with Lyric Opera Baltimore. Concert appearances include Verdi’s Requiem and Britten’s War Requiem in Lancaster, and Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915 with the Two Rivers Chamber Orchestra. Natalie was a finalist in the Friday Morning Music Club Washington International Competition, a grand prize winner for the Vocal Arts D.C. Discovery Art Song Competition, a first prize winner in the Maryland Lyric Opera competition, and a first prize winner in the National Federation of Music Club’s Young Artist Competition. She frequently performs in the Metropolitan Opera Chorus.
Corrie Stallings
Mezzo-soprano Corrie Stallings is quickly gaining acclaim for her work on both the operatic and concert stage. She was a 2017 Gerda Lissner International Vocal Competition first-prize winner, and recently returned to Santa Fe Opera this summer for a second season as apprentice artist where she covered Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus. In the 2017-18 season, Corrie returned to Pittsburgh Opera, where she was a former Resident Artist, to perform Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro and made her Washington Concert Opera debut as Isoletta in Bellini’s La straniera. Other noteworthy performances include Jo in Adamo’s Little Women, Rosina in Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia, and Mercedes in Bizet’s Carmen, all as a Resident Artist at Pittsburgh Opera; the title role in Rossini’s La Cenerentola at Syracuse Opera; Paquette (cover) in Bernstein’s Candide at The Glimmerglass Festival; and Third Lady in The Magic Flute, Kate in The Pirates of Penzance, and a cover for Stephanie Blythe as Gertrude Stein in Ricky Ian Gordon’s 27 at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. Concert highlights include a debut with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra as the alto soloist in Mozart’s Coronation Mass; alto soloist in Handel’s Messiah with the Colorado Symphony; and Berlioz’s cantata La mort de Cléopâtre, alto soloist in Mozart’s Requiem, and Beethoven’s Mass in C with the Erie Philharmonic.
Timothy Augustin
The Washington Post describes American tenor Timothy Augustin as an “outstanding performer” who possesses a “particularly lovely voice.” Hailed for his artistry, he has won numerous awards and competitions including The Washington International Competition for Singers. Timothy is a past national finalist for the Ryan Opera Center for American Artists of the Lyric Opera of Chicago, winner of several awards from The Metropolitan Opera’s National Council Auditions and a recipient of many other honors. He has performed in such venues as Carnegie Hall and Alice Tully Hall in New York, on all of the stages at The Kennedy Center in Washington, The Mormon Tabernacle, and The Ordway Theater in St. Paul. Tim’s television appearances include ABC’s Good Morning America, NBC’s Today Show, The CBS Morning Show and ABC’s World News Tonight. Radio broadcasts include the tenor soloist in the world premiere of Nick White’s Full Freedom at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall which was broadcast on NPR. A much sought after artist, Tim is a regular performer with Washington’s most respected musical organizations including the National Symphony Orchestra, The National Chamber Orchestra, the Master Chorale of Washington, the Cathedral Choral Society, Masterworks Chorus, and others. Recently, Timothy has performed concerts in China, Mexico and Canada as well as performing the role of Schmidt in WNO’s production of Werther, which added to his more than 20 roles and hundreds of performances with the company.