Jurate Svedaite, Frederique Bosz – Tosca
Daniel Juarez – Cavaradossi
Steve Fredericks, Andrew Potter – Scarpia
Andrew Potter, Steve Fredericks – Angelotti
Steven A. Fasano – Sacristan
Terrence Fay, Oswaldo Iraheta – Spoletta
David Kennedy – Sciarrone
Adrian Sylveen, Conductor
Jan Mason, Stage Director
Dara Blackstone – Chorusmaster
Carter Alevrides – Set design
Nightwing Whitehead – Costumes design
Friday, May 12, 7:30pm
Trinity-on-Main Arts Center, New Britain
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Sunday, May 14, 2pm
Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford
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Saturday, May 20, 7:30pm
Garde Arts Center, New London
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Friday, May 26, 7:30pm
MHS Arts Center, Middletown
Cast Bios:
CAST BIOS
Born and raised in Pearl City, Hawaii, Stage Director JAN MASON is a proud graduate of Punahou School. After graduating from Emerson College, Jan founded Hold the Phone Productions, a collaborative group of artists committed to creating alternative theatre in the Boston area, where she produced and directed new plays. After several years of directing and acting in Boston, Jan relocated to New York City where she worked with the Jose Limon Dance Foundation, and became Managing Director of Arden Party, an Off-Off-Broadway theatre company (Karin Coonrod, Artistic Director). During her tenure as Managing Director Jan produced the critically acclaimed Victor or Children Take Over at the Ohio Theatre, lauded as “Smashing!” by Ben Brantley of The New York Times. That season she brought the company to fiscal solvency, and secured the largest base of Government, Foundation and Corporate funding in the company’s history. Following the success of Victor, Jan focused her energies on directing. She developed new work with Ensemble Studio Theatre (Theatre Lab Member), The Women’s Project (Director’s Forum Member), Rattlstick Playwright’s Theatre (Artistic Associate), New Georges (Affiliated Artist & Roaring Girl), NYCFringe, Manhattan Theatre Source, Screaming Venus, Lightning Strikes Theatre, and The Basic Theatre. In addition, she worked at the Ohio Theatre (Wooster St), HERE Arts Center, Dixon Place, the Present Company Theotorium, Todo con Nada (Ludlow St), and other downtown venues. In the years since earning her Master of Fine Arts Degree in Directing from the University of Virginia, Jan has taught theatre classes at several institutions including Western Connecticut State University, Fairfield University and Housatonic Community College. She is currently Assistant Professor at Central Connecticut State University. She has had the pleasure of studying with Doreen Bechdol, Harold Bloom, Tom Bloom, Bob Chapel, Myles Coiner, Bob Colby, Kathleen Donohue, Sabin Epstein, John Frick, Anna Halprin, Tim House, Ron Jenkins, Emily Kent (Pilobolus company), Marianne Kubik, Mark Lamos (Westport Country Playhouse), Richard Mold (The New Theatre), Edward Morehouse (HB Studios), Michael Rasbury, Mike Rock (Improv Olympics), Kim Rubinstein, Maureen Shea, Norman Taylor (Lecoq technique), Polly Teale (Shared Experience), Richard Toma, Betsy Tucker, Andrew Wade, Richard Warner, and Gweneth West.
Possessing a vocal artistry and stage presence capable of “transfixing audiences with moments of opera magic,” Lithuanian soprano, JŪRATĖ ŠVEDAITĖ,has performed throughout Europe and the United States with the Lithuanian National Chamber Orchestra, Connecticut Lyric Opera, Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra, Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, Kaunas (Lithuania) Chamber Orchestra, Classical Orchestra of Piła (Poland) and the Lithuanian National Ensemble “Lietuva” among others, in venues as varied as Carnegie Hall, the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre and Foxwood’s Resort and Casino.On the stage, Ms. Švedaitė has performed more than 20 leading roles including Cio-cio San in Madama Butterfly, the diva Tosca, Violetta in La Traviata, Mimi in La Bohème, Contessa in Le Nozze di Figaro, Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, Desdemona in Otello, Senta in Die Fliegende Hollander, Marguerite in Faust and Micaela in Carmen. An active perfomer of sacred works and oratorios as well, her credits include Bach’s Mass in B minor, Mozart’s Requiem, Brahm’s Ein Deutsches Requiem, Verdi’s Requiem and Orff’s Carmina Burana. The granddaughter of one of Lithuania’s most revered composers and arrangers of traditional music, Jonas Švedas, Ms. Švedaitė attended the Lithuanian Music Academy where she earned Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Opera Performance and Vocal Instruction. She now resides in Southeastern Connecticut where she is an Assistant Professor at Connecticut College.
The Belgian‐Israeli soprano FREDERIQUE BOSZ first studied piano for 5 years at the conservatory of Antwerp. She began her singing and opera education at the conservatory of Maastricht (the Netherlands) and interrupted this study to work with the Hungarian mezzo‐soprano Ibolya Palatinus in Germany and with Iris Adami‐Corradetti in Padova, Italy. Next she studied for two years at the opera studio of Els Bolkestein in Berlin, and worked in Brussels with the famous bass‐baritone Malcolm King. She graduated from the Fontys Hogeschool Tilburg in the Netherlands. She was coached by Sandra Stone in Düsseldorf. Frederique Bosz gave numerous opera, lied en chamber music recitals in Germany (amongst others with the pianist Andreas Discher), Belgium, The Netherlands, France and Italy. She performed in the opera‐production “Kampf der Diven” in Berlin, and gave several concerts with the Limburg Symphony Orchestra, Maastricht. In 2011 she moved to Israel. She auditioned for the artists committee for immigrants and was accepted with the classification ‘outstanding’. She gave several recitals, a. o. with Mario Solan and Batia Lorenzen. In 2015 she performed with the Ra’anana Symphonette Orchestra. In the Summer of 2016 she performed in the Jerusalem production of Le Nozze di Figaro. In the 2017 Jerusalem Summer festival she will perform the part of Mimi in La Bohème.
Tenor DANIEL JUÁREZ is becoming well-known to New England opera audiences, having performed with Connecticut Lyric Opera, Opera Theater of Connecticut, MetroWest Opera, Western Connecticut State University Opera Studio, and in various recital and concert venues throughout the region. His recent operatic credits include Don José in Bizet’s Carmen, the title role in Gounod’s Faust, Rodolfo in Puccini’s La Bohème, The Italian Singer in Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier, Pinkerton in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, and Erik in Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman. Of a recent performance Faust, The Town Times of Middletown, CT said “Juarez… sang a Faust of both great refinement and passion, and his top notes flowed freely and effortlessly.” The Day of New London, CT said of his performance of Erik in Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman: “Juarez almost stole the show Saturday, his full-throated tenor filing the hall with anger and frustration…” Of his Don Jose in Bizet’s Carmen, the Town Times said: “…the real revelation of the evening was tenor Daniel Juarez as Don Jose… he flooded the theater with big, burnished, baritonal sounds, a powerful top, and plenty of gut-wrenching passion…” The Day of New London, CT described his performance in Carmen as “a riveting evening of musical drama by tenor Daniel Juarez” and further noted, “His growing vocal ardor, a smooth and powerful tenor well-suited to this French material, and stagecraft through the final two acts . . . were character development writ large. From the Act 2 aria “La fleur que tu m’avais jetée” through the impassioned duets that followed to the finale, Juarez was the evening’s emotional epicenter.” Daniel has also been featured as the tenor soloist in a number of oratorio and concert performances, including Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Requiem and Vesperae Solennes de Confessore, J.S. Bach’s Magnificat, Ariel Ramirez’ Misa Criolla, Heinrich Schütz’ Sieben Worte Jesu Christi am Kreuz, and Theodore Dubois’ Seven Last Words of Christ. Of a performance of Rossini’s Stabat Mater the New Canaan (CT) News said: “The most spectacular of the arias was “Cujus Animam,” which takes the tenor soloist to a stratospheric high d-flat. Dan Juarez made it look easy. He has a full dramatic sound, somewhat dark, but flexible, undaunted by Rossini’s demands that took him all over his range.” Daniel is a graduate of the Yale University School of Music, a former Minnesota Opera Studio Artist, and onetime finalist in the Southwest Region Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions. He makes his home in New Haven with his wife and two sons.
Hailed for his “robust” singing with “great emotional depth” STEVEN FREDERICKS has made his mark with some of opera’s most celebrated roles. Mr. Fredericks was heard as soloist in Handel’s Messiah at Carnegie Hall, Strommenger in La Wally with Teatro Grattacielo at Allice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center, NY, Reinmar in Tannhäuser with The Baltimore Opera and Timur in Turandot with The Cincinnati Opera. He has frequently appeared with The New York Grand Opera in Central Park in New York City. He sang the role of Filippo in a highlighted version of Don Carlo at the 1997 Opera America Convention in Philadelphia. Internationally, he has performed with The Chuvash State Theatre (Russia) as Sparafucile in Rigoletto, and the Herald in Lohengrin, Paris/Saone-et-Loire (France). Notably, he created the role of Signorelli in the world premier of Louis Gioia’s Un Racconto Fiorentino at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center and performed in Lee Hoiby’s The Tempest at the Dallas Opera singing the role of the ambitious evil nemesis, Antonio. Recently, he sang Zaccaria in Nabucco, the title role in Boito’s Mefistofele and Oroveso in Bellini’s Norma with The Taconic Opera and The Dutchman in Der Fliegende Holländer and Tod in Ullman’s Der Kaiser von Atlantis with The Connecticut Lyric Opera. Last season he performed Mozart’s Dr. Bartolo with The Salt Marsh Opera and will join the Adelphi Orchestra this spring as Hunding in a concert performance of Act 1 of Die Walküre. He returns to the Greve Festival in Italy this summer to perform and hold master classes.
A bass vocalist of increasing demand, ANDREW POTTER is a true Basso that has been hailed by audiences and critics across the country for a larger-than-life stage presence and a powerful, lithe voice. In his beginnings at Liberty University he got a taste of the stage performing roles like the Pirate King in Pirates of Penzance, Poo Bah in The Mikado, and Baron Mirko Zeta inThe Merry Widow while pursuing his BA of Vocal Performance. In 2012, Andrew was cast by Opera on the James in their performance of Die Fledermaus as a chorus member and dancer. Opera on the James then re-cast him in their Spring production of The Magic Flute as The Second Armored Man. In their 2013-14 season, Opera on the James cast Andrew asBetto in Gianni Schicchi, Mr. Dashwood in Mark Adamo’sLittle Women, and the Big Bad Bully in Stop Bully – an outreach opera performed in schools and community centers. In January of 2013, Andrew was awarded a position with Opera Roanoke’s Young Apprentice Artist Program, singing across Central Virginia in places like Roanoke’s Elmwood Park, Smith Mountain Lake, and the Taubman museum of art. Since that time, Opera Roanoke cast him as the Sergeantin their production of Pirates of Penzance, and awarded him the cover role of the Pirate King. Opera Roanoke would continue to cast Andrew in their Fall Performance of Die Zauberflöte, having him cover the role of Sarastro, while reprising his role of the Second Armored Man. In the Spring of 2014 Andrew continued his work with Opera Roanoke, performing the role of Curio and covering the role of Achillain Julius Caesar. Opera Roanoke then cast him in the fall of 2014 to sing the role of the Frog King in the World Premiere of The Three Feathers. Bel Cantanti Opera in Washington, DC cast Andrew in the role of Ariodate, in Handel’s Serse, and has since been back on multiple occasions to perform the roles of Uberto in La Serva Padrona, Le fauteuil & L’abre. Luray Opera Theatre cast Andrew and hailed his comedic antics as Simone in Gianni Schicchi and invited him back to sing the role of Don Alfonso in Cosi fan Tutte; both roles being reprisals of Andrew’s previous performances with in with Tidewater Opera Initiative. In August of 2014, Andrew made his West coast debut and his professional role debut of Sarastro in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte in San Diego, California with Opera NEO. He also made his role debut of Ramphis in Verdi’s Aida in Pittsburgh, PA.
STEVEN A. FASANO, baritone, is gaining respect throughout New England for his artistic sensibility on operatic, recital and concert stages. He has sung Marcello in La Boheme with the Regina Opera Company of Brooklyn, Le Geolier in Dialogues des Carmélites with Dell’Arte, and as Guglielmo in a concert performance of Cosi fan Tutte at the Metropolitan Opera Guild. He sang in the world premiere performance of music by Vladamir Pleshakov at Carnegie Hall with the Aoede Consort and Trinity Wall Street Choirs, and is a featured soloist on the U.S. premiere recording of Jan Dimas Zelenka’s Missa Votiva, performed with the Crescendo Instrument Society in the Berkshires. Recently he performed as Father Adolf in the U.S. Premiere of ‘Mysterious 44’, an electronic opera, by Kevin Malone, with The Mark Twain House and Hartford Opera Theater as well as the role of Schaunard in La Boheme with Panopera in Northampton, M.A. Other concert/opera performances include Puccini’s Messa di Gloria with the Farmington Valley Chorale, as Sharpless in Madama Butterfly with Riverfront Opera of Yonkers, New York, and Bach’s Actus Tragicus (BWV 106) and Handel’s Messiah, both with the Solo di Gloria Orchestra. Mr. Fasano is also a respected and active secondary school music educator in the New Haven School district and is a soloist and member of CONCORA.
Tenor TERRANCE FAY had sung professionally for well over a decade. He has been a soloist most recently with the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra, as well as the choirs of St. John’s Lutheran Church, Stamford, Trinity Episcopal Church, Torrington, and the Marquand Chapel Choir at the Yale Divinity School. He has been a member of the choirs of Christ Church, New Haven, Trinity Episcopal Church, Torrington, and of the Grammy-award winning choir, Gaudeamus, while also performing frequently with Mid America Productions in New York City under the direction of John Rutter, among others. In 2011, he performed as a member of the Collegiate Chorale at the Verbier Festival in Switzerland in performances with Bryn Terfel and Barbara Frittoli, and the Bard Festival with the American Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Fay is currently a member of the Schola Cantorum of St. Mary Roman Catholic Church, Norwalk. Mr. Fay is currently a Visiting Artist at Pomperaug High School, and is on the faculty of the Neighborhood Music School, Choate Rosemary Hall, and the Universities of Bridgeport and New Haven.
Tenor OSWALDO IRAHETA has been recognized for his “pure tone filled with emotion.” Since transitioning from baritone up to tenor, Oswaldo has sung various tenor roles in the United States making his international debut at the Royal Opera House Muscat with Maestro Lorin Maazel. Oswaldo has performed in premieres of operas including the role of Domingo in Luis Diaz Herodier’s El Mozote with Opera de El Salvador. He performed the role of the Prince in Polina Nazaykinskaya’s The Magic Mirror for its New York City premiere at the New York International Fringe Festival and most recently, the role of the Shepherd in Dina Pruzhansky’s Shulamit in New York City. Other roles Oswaldo has performed include Alfredo (La Traviata), Rinuccio (Gianni Schicchi), Count Belfiore (La finta giardiniera), Bardolfo (Falstaff), Ruiz (Il trovatore), Remendado (Carmen), Spoletta (Tosca), and Rodolfo (La boheme). Also at home with song, Oswaldo performs in concert and recital including his recent Chicago debut as part of the Sounds of the South Loop concert series with acclaimed Brazilian guitarist Paulinho Garcia, as well as the Center for Contemporary Opera’s Sing for Hope outreach series. He has premiered song cycles by Juan Guerra Gonzalez and chamber works by Polina Nazaykinskaya. Oswaldo had the opportunity to perform with Marvin Hamlisch at Severance Hall in Cleveland. This season Oswaldo performed in a concert honoring Terrence McNally, Lynn Ahrens & Stephen Flaherty at the National Arts Club in New York City. Oswaldo was a member of the Aspen Opera Theater Center, the Castleton Festival, and has performed with the Martina Arroyo Foundation. He currently studies with Bill Schuman in New York City. Upcoming engagements include performances with the Center for Contemporary Opera, the Connecticut Lyric Opera, the Greve Opera Music Festival in Italy with premieres in the US and South America
DANNY JUAREZ returns to the Connecticut Lyric Opera stage as the Shepherd Boy for this production of Tosca. Last season he played the Page in the CLO’s production of Rigoletto. His company debut was the part of Parpignol in La Boheme in 2015. Danny enjoys soccer, basketball, and martial arts training. When he is older, Danny would like to be a rock star who occasionally sings opera.