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FASTEN YOUR SEATBELTS AS INTERNATIONAL OPERATIC
TALENT ARRIVES AT 2016 SAVANNAH MUSIC FESTIVALMARCH 31ST AND APRIL 2ND
SAVANNAH, GA – MARCH 10, 2016 For a second year, two of Savannah’s leading performing arts
organizations, The Savannah VOICE Festival and Savannah Music Festival, collaborate to create
great operatic experiences in the spring. As a Savannah Music Festival highlight, which runs March
24-April 9, two outstanding concerts featuring some of American’s most talented opera singers will
take place in downtown Savannah. Arias & Encores will feature a carefully curated mix of American,
French, and Italian composers with a dash of musical theatre at 6 p.m. March 31 at Christ Church
Episcopal in Savannah. Then opera fans are invited to fasten their seatbelts and travel to Prague as
at 7 p.m. on April 2, Mozart in Prague: An Operatic Journey will unfold within the confines of Trinity
United Methodist Church in Savannah.
This one-time-only multimedia-infused concert will be an operatic tour of composer Wolfgang A.
Mozart and librettist Lorenzo da Ponte’s world in the city where his most successful operas – Don
Giovanni and The Marriage of Figaro – premiered. The program will feature outstanding voices in
scenes and arias from the masterpieces that made a significant and lasting impact on Prague. A
backdrop of awe-inspiring images of the magical city of Prague will transport audiences to the Czech
Republic’s historical capital city.
Savannah welcomes internationally renowned operatic soprano Micaëla Oeste star of 2015’s coproduced operas, Suor Angelica & Gianni Schicchi and The Savannah VOICE Festival’s own Amy
Shoremount-Obra, who made her Metropolitan Opera debut last season. Several other highly
respected industry professionals, including Metropolitan Opera’s Marco Nistico, conductor Andrew
Bisantz and pianist Dan Gettinger, will add depth and richness to the production. To pull it all together
in a way that only he can, famed American opera star Sherrill Milnes will serve as the emcee.
Commonly acclaimed as the world’s foremost operatic baritone, Milnes is just capping a very special
year, during which he celebrated his 80th birthday and the 50th anniversary of his debut at the
Metropolitan Opera.
Savannah VOICE Festival co-founder Maria Zouves directs both concerts and comments “We love to
collaborate with other Savannah musical entities and our 2016 concerts promise to be an outstanding
experience with a few surprises. Everyone loves musical collections and these two concerts have
been curated and assembled with our Savannah audiences in mind.”
Tickets cost $55 each for Arias & Encores and $65 each for Mozart in Prague. A few tickets are still
available as part of a $225 Patron Package, which includes a pre-festival house concert event,
premium seating at both co-productions and a champagne toast with the cast of Mozart in Prague.
Ticketing is available for VOICE Society members by calling 855-76-OPERA or emailing
[email protected]. Tickets are now on sale to the general public online at
savannahmusicfestival.org, by phone at 912-525-5050 or in person at 216 E. Broughton St. in
Savannah.
- ENDS Editor’s Notes
Savannah VOICE Festival is a 501(c) 3 tax exempt nonprofit arts organization in the state of
Georgia. The Festival brings classical vocal excellence to the Savannah area through a two-week
celebration of concerts, events and educational presentations during the month of August and
throughout the year. Focusing on arts awareness and audience development in the performing arts, it
offers music from opera, musical theatre and popular song. Donations are tax-deductible.
For media inquiries, please call Lesley Francis at 912-429-3950 or email [email protected],
or Ashley Roberts at 912-220-2976 or email [email protected].