Simon Boccanegra is one of the lesser known works by Giuseppe Verdi, but most opera lovers would say that it is one of his finest. This somber story, named after a real life 14th century Doge of Genoa, is an excellent display of Verdi’s genius and insight demonstrated through music.
Full of subtle but well-balanced contrasts, Simon Boccanegra is a blend of powerful political and personal drama featuring a demanding title role worthy of his rivals in Macbeth or Rigoletto.
During the webinar, Maestro Antony Walker, Artistic Director of the Washington Concert Opera, and acclaimed conductor and expert on Verdi’s oeuvre, will guide us through the notes and context of this rare gem. The presentation will be accompanied by selected clips from the opera extracted from a virtual concert performed by the brilliant cast of the WCO.
LOCATION: Zoom Webinar (Registration Required)
WHEN: October 6th, 2020 at 4:00 PM ET
EVENT LANGUAGE: English
This program is presented in collaboration with
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.