Teatro Grattacielo
2 Riverside Drive
2C
New York, NY
10023
212-595-7127
More on the Cast
Aprile Millo has graced the stages of the world’s great opera houses from the Metropolitan, La Scala, the Arena of Verona, Teatro Colon, Munich, Berlin, Moscow, Vienna and Paris and returns to Teatro Grattacielo again this year after her triumphal performance as Zazà in 2005. Noted for her seamless legato, Italianate color and beauty of voice, as well as for her unerring dramatic commitment, she is truly the greatest verismo singer gracing operatic stages today.
Mexican tenor José Luis Duval joined the Metropolitan Opera in 2004 and made his Met Opera debut on three hours notice as Rodolfo in 2005. His repertoire encompasses bel canto, Verdi, verismo and zarzuela roles which he has sung with Bellas Artes in Mexico City, Washington National, Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, and Pittsburgh Operas in addition to the Met. Upcoming engagements for 2007/8 include Alfredo and Rodolfo for the Met in the Parks series.
Baritone Todd Thomas, noted for his vocally assured and dramatically charged performances as well as for his subtle, poetic qualities, has established a worldwide reputation particularly in the Verdi repertoire. He is currently debuting in The Metropolitan Opera’s War and Peace. Other roles include Scarpia for NYCO, Falstaff for Seattle, and Macbeth for Connecticut Grand Opera among his numerous performances throughout Europe, Asia, and the U.S.
Ashraf Sewailam, bass-baritone, is originally from Cairo, Egypt, and is currently a doctoral candidate, and winner for two years in a row of the Spencer Voice Fellowship at the University of Colorado at Boulder. He made his Opera Colorado debut in the 2004/5 season as Leporello and recently sang Alidoro for Fresno and Opera Nevada, Colline for Seattle and, this past summer, for Lake George Opera. Upcoming engagements include Ferrando for Mobile in 2008.
Soprano Asako Tamura made her Arena di Verona debut this past summer as Anna in Nabucco and sang in Franco Donatoni’s Alfredo, Alfredo. She has appeared with the Hungarian State Opera as Violetta, Gilda and Lucia; with the Teatro Lirico di Cagliari in Sardegna, Italy, as Lucia conducted by Giuseppe Sabattini; with the Tokyo City Opera as Musetta and Micaela; and with the Sarasota Opera as Amalia in I Masnadieri among many others.
Arnold Rawls, tenor, has made a name for himself with his powerful and thrilling high notes garnering him high acclaim in roles ranging from Alfred in Die Fledermaus with Nashville Opera to his specialty, Calaf, with Chicago Lyric Opera, Santa Fe, Opera Omaha, Des Moines, Nevada, Pensacola and Mobile as well as Manrico with Teatro Lirico, Opera Southwest and the Bregenz Festival in Austria. Our performance marks his New York City, Lincoln Center debut.
Baritone Daniel Lee received his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the Korean National University and graduated from Juilliard’s Professional Studies Program. He appeared with Teatro Grattacielo in La Cena delle Beffe, Zazà, and La Farsa Amorosa; sang with OONY as Metifio in L’Arlesiana; and next season will sing Zurga in The Pearl Fishers in Connecticut. His many awards include Opera Index, Montreal, Caruso International, and Puccini Foundation.
Mezzo-soprano Mabel Ledo, originally from Miami, has been praised for her “rich, warm voice” and “beautifully focused sound” in her appearances in opera, zarzuela and oratorio in both “pants” roles such as Orlofsky, Orsini, Stephano, and Hansel as well as the sultry heroines Carmen, Maddalena, Preziosilla, and Lola. She also frequently appears with Teatro Nuevo Mexico and the Sociedad Pro-Arte Grateli in zarzuelas and concertizes extensively.
John Tiranno. Originally from Buffalo, NY, tenor John Tiranno’s recent engagements include Lord Tolloller in Iolanthe (Nashville Opera), Arturo in Lucia di Lammermoor (Connecticut Grand Opera), Beppe in Pagliacci (New York Grand Opera), Faust in Gounod’s Faust (Opera in the Heights), and Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni (Opera Colorado). He returns to Teatro Grattacielo again after singing Giacomino in last year’s in La Farsa Amorosa
The Cantori New York Chorus under Artistic Director Mark Shapiro have been recipients of two ASCAP/Chorus America awards for Adventurous Programming and have three recordings to their credit: Frank Martin’s chamber oratorio Le Vin Herbé for Newport Classics, “Echoes and Shadows” for PGM Ars Nova, and choral music by Michael Dellaira on Albany Records. Mr. Shapiro is also Teatro Grattacielo’s Associate Conductor.
One of the most outstanding young conductors on the podium today, David Wroe is Music Director for both the Westfield Symphony Orchestra in New Jersey, the Garrett Lakes Arts Summer Festival in Maryland, and returns to Teatro Grattacielo again this year after his exciting performance in last year’s La Farsa Amorosa. His debut in La Bohème at NYCO in 2006 led to several subsequent engagements there in addition to his active orchestral performance schedule.