Winter into Spring Resident Artist Auditions

Perform with a New York Times-praised opera company!

Casting for CrossCURRENT concert, and Trouble in Tahiti at Thalia Theatre, Symphony Space. 

Auditions on January 14, 2014 in Manhattan, by appointment only.

Required repertoire:

-- A contemporary aria or song in English

-- An aria in Italian

-- An additional aria in a third language

Audition fee: $25. Non-refundable. Accompanist is provided.

Tuition: $1250. Some scholarships are available as rebates upon successful completion of the program.

 Resident Artists and guests performing at Casa Italiana.

For consideration:  Please send your resume and headshot and video clips, if available, to Gina Crusco, Artistic Director, at underworldprod@gmail.com. If selected you will be provided with an audition timeslot and location. 

Winter into Spring 2014

Hours: More than 40 hours of coaching and rehearsals, mostly Tuesdays through early March, then Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday evenings. 

Roles: For all voice parts. Short contemporary opera and Trouble in Tahiti roles and covers (there will be a cover performance) will be cast from Resident Artists. 

Performances: March 7 CrossCURRENT concert of airas and contemporary fare. May 4 and 9 outreach performances; May 17, 18, 19 mainstage performances at Thalia Theatre at Symphony Space. Details are subject to change.

Guest workshops:  Composer Thomas Deneuville will coach his works.  Additional workshops TBA; in recent seasons RAs enjoyed workshops with Dr. Robert C. White, Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Program; Cori Ellison, Glyndebourne Opera dramaturg; Amy Frawley, Executive Vice President, Concert Artists Guild; Lydia Biondi, Mimoteatromovimento (Rome); Elena Araoz, Glimmerglass Opera and New York City Opera stage director; and Marcello Giordani, Metropolitan Opera tenor. 

What singers say about the program:

"I so enjoyed my time as a Resident Artist and took a tremendous amount away from the esperience" -- Rachel Policar, soprano, 2013 RA; First Place Winner, New York Lyric Opera National Vocal Competition 2013.

"I wanted to say thank you for everything. I learned so much during my time with UPO." – Katie Bolding, 2010 RA; winner of a Fest contract in Germany.   

"I have worked with a few companies and training programs now, and UPO's process is not only enjoyable and productive, but people truly learn -- and together." -- Nils Neubert, New York Times-praised tenor. 

Summer 2014 Intensive

Spend a week living, studying and performing in New York!

June 9-15, 2014 

Underworld Productions Opera announces a new program of coaching, workshops, and performance opportunities. 

Scenes under consideration: Le Nozze di Figaro, Hansel & Gretel, Gianni Schicchi. 

Performances: Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimo at New York University; the Upper West Side; and Manhattan College.

UPO Resident Artists and Guests Perform in New York City

The Summer Intensive includes at least four hours a day of masterclasses with Gina Crusco, UPO Artistic Director; Michael Fennelly,  collaborative pianist with Metropolitan Opera soloists; and Lorraine DiSimone, mezzo-soprano and University of Tennessee voice faculty; with special guests  including Cori Ellison, Glyndebourne Festival Opera dramaturg and Vocal Arts Faculty with The Juilliard School.  This rigorous program will be enhanced by special workshops with opera professionals from major organizations.

The setting: Manhattan College campus in Riverdale was selected for its traditional New England atmosphere, open green spaces, and proximity to direct transportation service to Lincoln Center and other major cultural sites. Tuition includes a double room in a suite with its own bathroom, housed in a modern high-rise with flat screen TV, microwaves and laundry facilities on every floor.

Green space at Manhattan College

Modern high-rise housing  

Dining:  Delicious, wholesome and varied food choices for daily breakfast and lunch are included in your tuition. For dinner, you may explore eateries within walking distance in every price range and cuisine or venture downtown to New York City's fabled neighborhoods to dine.

Evening excursions:  UPO will organize trips to New York City's great cultural institutions, including art exhibits and free concerts in the parks.  Summer Stage in Central Park, Museum Mile Festival, and Puerto Rican Day Parade all take place in June. Joining in is optional and at modest additional expense.

UPO Singers enjoy downtime in Gramercy Park.

How to apply:  Send your headshot, resume, and either a letter of recommendation from an opera professional OR an audio clip to Gina Crusco, Artistic Director, at underworldprod@gmail.com. Materials must be received by January 30, 2014. Successful applicants will be notified by February 7, 2014. 

Tuition: $1500, which includes a double room in a suite, breakfast and lunch daily, and all workshops. $900 is due on February 14, 2014. Final payment of $600 is due on March 14, 2014. Ask about commuter rates.

About UPO: Underworld Productions Opera has been training emerging singers in the Resident Artist program since 2008. UPO RAs have gone on to win competitions and contracts both nationally and internationally.

“Known for playfully irreverent takes on classics” (The New York Times), UPO has been recognized for innovation and excellence by Musical America, The New York Times, Opera News, Early Music America, Opera Today, and in the blogosphere. UPO has been called “genius!” (Madison Opera Blog), “intrepid” (The New Yorker), “polished and professional” (Operavore) and “zesty” (Opera Today). The company has updated five classic operas; given an outing to lesser-known early works by Handel, Pergolesi, Rameau and A. Scarlatti; and premiered works by living American composers.

The New York Times called UPO’s 2013 Il Trionfo dell’Onore “a vivacious, little-seen gem.”  Classical Review praised UPO’s 2012 Don Pasquale as a “witty production that combined a gently tweaked storyline with an intimate setting that gave audience members a rare chance to experience opera up close.” Opera L praised UPO’s stage premiere of Clarence & Anita by Ben Yarmolinsky thus: “Music that is first rate and with performances which could be put in any of our important opera houses.” UPO created an “interesting twist” and “inventive solution” to Rameau’s Pygmalion (The New York Times).  Così fan Tutte: Defining Women updated Mozart’s opera with text-messaging interactivity and was recognized as a landmark event in the “Year in Music.”

Summer Intensive faculty: 

Lorraine DiSimone, University of Tennessee Voice Faculty

Michael Fennelly, pianist with Metropolitan Opera artists

Gina Crusco, UPO Artistic Director

Cori Ellison, The Juilliard School 

Gala Concert and Reception

Friday, December 6, 2013
6 pm Auction viewing
6:30 Concert
8:00 Wine and Cheese Reception
Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimo' at NYU
24 W. 12th Street
New York City

Join us for our annual festive celebration of the season!


Artists include


Kelli Butler, coloratura soprano                   Isaac Grier, bass-baritone

Isabella Florin, soprano                                 Emily White, pianist

              



 Gian-Carla Tisera, soprano                     Radoslav Lesay, tenor                   

Thomas Deneuville, composer

Music by Bernstein, Offenbach, Verdi, and UPO composer-in-residence, 

Thomas Deneuville.

Tickets: $75.00 per person ($60 tax deductible). By reservation only. 

Purchase tickets HERE.

Accessibility: This venue is wheelchair accessible with 24 hour notice to 212-998-3893.

NYOA Premiere Event @ Le Poisson Rouge

The New York Opera Alliance is hosting its premiere event at Le Poisson Rouge on November 3rd at 3pm (doors open at 2pm). For the first time ever, the participating organizations of NYOA are coming together for an afternoon of opera arias and excerpts. With an eclectic program ranging from classical to 21st century works, audience members will be treated to a vast array of operatic styles within one evening’s programming. Come celebrate the diversity of opera in NYC on the final day of National Opera Week. An opera lover’s dream!

Underworld Productions will present these selections:

Wild Nights by Thomas Deneuville

Poetry by Emily Dickinson

First in the 4-song cycle "Cyclothymic (Love) Diaries"

Amelia Watkins, soprano; Elizabeth Rodgers, piano

High-Tech Lynching by Ben Yarmolinsky

Text by the composer from the hearing transcripts

From the opera Clarence & Anita

Isaac Grier, bass-baritone; Elizabeth Rodgers, piano

2pm doors // 3pm show // All Ages

$10
+ 2 items at tables

More information. 


Current NYOA participants include:

American Lyric Theater
American Opera Projects
Beth Morrison Projects
Bronx Opera
Center for Contemporary Opera
Chelsea Opera
Citywide Youth Opera
dell’Arte Opera Ensemble
Downtown Music Productions
Encompass New Opera Theatre
Gotham Chamber Opera
Harlem Opera Theater
HERE Arts Center
Indie Opera Podcast
Liederkranz Opera Theatre
little OPERA Theatre of NY
Manhattan School of Music Opera Theater
Morningside Opera
On Site Opera
Opera Breve
Opera Ebony
Opera Moderne
Opera Omnia
Opera on Tap
operamission
OperaOGGI of New York
Underworld Productions Opera
Vertical Player Repertory

The New York Opera Alliance (NYOperaAlliance.org) is a consortium of New York alternative/independent opera companies and producers established to enhance and support the visibility and viability of their organizations, both individually and collectively. The NYOA website serves as a single central place for the public to get connected with the entire opera scene in New York. 

Auditions: Fall/Winter Resident Artists

Work with a New York Times-praised opera company! 

Auditions will be held on Tuesday, September 17, 2013 from 6-9 pm in Manhattan, by appointment only.

Required repertoire:

-- A contemporary aria or song in English

-- An aria in Italian

-- An additional aria in a third language

Accompanist is provided. Non-refundable audition fee: $25.

Fall 2012 Resident Artists and guests performing at Casa Italiana.

Fall/Winter 2013-14

More than 40 hours of coaching, mostly on Tuesday evenings, with core faculty members Gina Crusco, UPO’s Artistic Director, and Elizabeth Rodgers, pianist and Manhattan School of Music opera coach.

Guest workshops with professionals affiliated with prestigious institutions. In recent seasons RAs enjoyed workshops with Dr. Robert C. White, Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Program; Cori Ellison, Glyndebourne Opera dramaturg; Amy Frawley, Executive Vice President, Concert Artists Guild; Lydia Biondi, Mimoteatromovimento (Rome); Elena Araoz, Glimmerglass Opera and New York City Opera stage director; and Marcello Giordani, Metropolitan Opera tenor. 

Composer/singer collaboration on world premiere works with Thomas Deneuville, 2013-2014 composer-in-residence..

Performances. Guaranteed concert performances on October 12, November 10, 2013, and March 7, 2014. RAs may be offered the opportunity to perform at events on October 18, November 3 and December 6. (Details are subject to change.)

Tuition: $1250. Some scholarships available as rebates upon successful completion of the program.

What singers say about the program:

"I so enjoyed my time as a Resident Artist and took a tremendous amount away from the esperience" -- Rachel Policar, soprano, 2013 RA; First Place Winner, New York Lyric Opera National Vocal Competition 2013.

"I wanted to say thank you for everything. I learned so much during my time with UPO." – Katie Bolding, 2010 RA; winner of a Fest contract in Germany.   

"I have worked with a few companies and training programs now, and UPO's process is not only enjoyable and productive, but people truly learn -- and together." -- Nils Neubert, New York Times-praised tenor. 

For consideration, please send your resume and headshot and video clips, if available, to Gina Crusco, Artistic Director, at underworldprod@gmail.com. If selected you will be provided with an audition timeslot and location. 

Il Trionfo dell'Onore

Il Trionfo dell' Onore

("Honor Wins Out") 

Underworld Productions Opera presents the NY premiere of Alessandro Scarlatti's only full-length comic opera -- a fast-paced romp of high and low characters laced with gorgeous melodies.

with Sinfonia New York orchestra

May 17, 7pm at Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò

24 West 12th Street

New York, NY 10011

Purchase Tickets HERE

AND

May 22-23, 8pm at Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theater at Peter Norton Symphony Space

2537 Broadway at 95th Street

New York, NY 10025

Purchase Tickets HERE

Premiered on November 26, 1718 at the Teatro dei Fiorentini in Naples, Il Trionfo dell’Onore is seminal in the development of opera buffa. Its libretto by Francesco Antonio Tullio about four couples staying at two Pisan alberghi is a fast-paced romp of high and low characters. It centers on the exploits of the dissolute protagonist Riccardo, a precursor to Mozart’s Don Giovanni. At the premiere this quintessential womanizer was played by a woman, soprano Caterina Testi. 

Casting Riccardo as a countertenor rather than the more typical tenor was inspired by this original casting. Eric Brenner has been praised for his "penetrating eloquence" and "astonishing solo singing" by The New York Times. Acclaimed singing actress Maria Todaro is his love interest Leonora. Dorian Komanoff Bandy, one of the Los Angeles Times's "101 Remarkable Young People," is music director. Stage direction is by Gina Crusco, UPO’s New York Times-praised Artistic Director.

UPO is a company “intent on finding interesting ways to present opera…while also making a social point or two about the war of the sexes that animates so many plots” (Allan Kozinn, The New York Times). Sinfonia NY will collaborate with UPO for the third time with this production; the orchestra won praise for its “energetic, well-balanced reading” of UPO’s Pygmalion.

The cast also includes Elise Jablow, soprano (Doralice); Briana Sakamoto, soprano (Cornelia); Catherine Leech, mezzo-soprano (Rosina); Stephanie McGuire, mezzo-soprano (Erminio); Christopher Preston Thompson, tenor (Flaminio); and Stephen Lavonier, baritone, (Rodimarte).  Designers are Michael Minahan, set; Kia Rogers, lighting; and Edgar Cortes, costumes.  

Featured Artists 

Dorian Komanoff Bandy, Music Director

Chosen as one of the Los Angeles Times's "101 Remarkable Young People," conductor Dorian Komanoff Bandy has garnered acclaim for his "lighthearted mastery over gesture and dramatic development" in performances of 18th-century opera and orchestral music. His varied background includes baroque violin studies with Pavlo Beznosiuk and Rachel Podger and fortepiano with Malcolm Bilson, and his operatic conducting credits range from Mozart's Don Giovanni (Les Petits Violons, New York) and Così fan tutte (Hampstead Garden Opera, London) to lesser-known works by Handel, Haydn, Lully, Purcell and Rousseau.

A baroque violinist by day, Dorian is in demand as an orchestral leader with ensembles across the United States and Europe, and has performed as a concerto soloist in such venues as London's Wigmore and Cadogan Halls and in the London Handel Festival. He is co-director of Musica Poetica London, leader and a founder member of the Rococo Consort, and frequent guest of the Amphion Consort (London), the International Baroque Players, Brecon Baroque (Wales), Ensemble Cordia/Akademie für alte Musik Bruneck (South Tyrol), and chamber ensembles in the Czech Republic. He has also worked extensively as a fortepianist, harpsichordist and organist, and is a specialist in the Lieder of Mozart, Haydn and Schubert. Dorian holds degrees summa cum laude from the Royal Academy of Music, London, and Cornell University. He is recipient of the coveted Marshall Scholarship.  

Eric S. Brenner as Riccardo

Countertenor Eric S. Brenner has been praised for his "penetrating eloquence," "astonishing solo singing" (NY Times), & "auto-tuned Mr. Roboto majesty" (Stage Mage).  A Long Island, New York native, Eric began his training on violin and viola before beginning to sing — as a tenor — in high school. Some of Eric's current projects include Giuliano (cover) in Cavalli's Eliogabalo with Gotham Chamber Opera; The Poet in Virko Baley's Holodomor; Doodle in Stefan Weisman's & David Cote's Scarlet Ibis; soprano soloist in Handel's Messiah at Alice Tully Hall & the Cathedral of St. John's in Albuquerque, NM; Alto soloist at the Boulder Bach Festival; Treble soloist in Bernstein'sChichester Psalms at Avery Fisher Hall; Countertenor soloist on Hannah Lash's Violations & Beast in Lash's Blood Rose; D.A.V.E. in Kamala Sankaram's Miranda; Soloist/ensemble on Guggenheim Fellow Toby Twining's new CD EURYDICE (Cantaloupe Music), & area appearances with Toby Twining Music.     

Maria Todaro as Leonora 

Maria Todaro, mezzo-soprano, was the lead singer of the “Art and Ecstasy of the Chaconne” with Sinfonia NY in Fall 2012. Acclaimed as a wonderful singing actress, she has performed roles such as Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Valencienne in Merry Widow, Zerlina and Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, Meg Paige in Falstaff, Angelina in Cenerentola, Helena in Donna del Lago, Romeo in I Capuletti e i Montecchi, Maddalena in Rigoletto, Cleopatra in Giulio Cesare, Edwige in Rodelina, Nicklaus and Giulietta in Les contes d’Hoffmann, Carmen, Dorabella in Cosi fan Tutte, and Cleopatra in Giulio Cesare, and created the role of Elvire in the world premiere of Eric Perre’s m’as tu vu? at the Theatre Traversiere in Paris. She recently performed Alexander Nevski with the Hudson Valley Philharmonic under the direction of Randall Fleisher. Maria made her debut in South America in Sao Paulo, Brazil in the role of the Countess de Boissy in Lo Schiavo by Brazilian composer Carlos Gomes. She sang La Cantate pour la Paix by Bernard Lallement under the composer himself for UNESCO Paris. Maria Todaro is a co-founder of The Phoenicia International Festival of The Voice.

Sinfonia New York 

Sinfonia New York was founded in 2007 by Christine Gummere and Gene Murrow.  The orchestra has a two-fold mission: to create work for seasoned musicians as well as young players just starting their careers, providing them with an environment that encourages their best playing; and to perform music by famous and lesser-known baroque and classical composers in period style.  Under the leadership of John Scott, the orchestra has received critical acclaim for the high quality of its playing.  As the Sinfonia Players the group has excelled in presenting chamber concerts featuring music from Monteverdi to Mendelssohn.  

Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò is located at 24 West 12^th Street between 5^th and 6^th avenues. It is accessible by taking the 1/2/3 trains to 14^th Street; the L train to 6^th avenue and 14^th Street; or the N/Q/R/4/5/6 trains to Union Square/14^th Street.  

Symphony Space is located on Broadway at 95^th Street. It is accessible by the 1/2/3 trains to 96^th Street.

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. This program is also made possible in part with public funds from the Fund for Creative Communities, supported by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature and administered by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council.  Additional funding has been provided by the Venable Foundation and Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance; the NoMAA Creative Grant Program was made possible by the JPMorgan Chase Foundation and the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Development Corporation.