The Florentine Opera Company Announces its 2019 Summer Residency Program Artists and Performance Schedule
In its third year, the Florentine Opera’s Summer Residency Program Artists have been selected through a competitive audition process.
MILWAUKEE, Wis. – May 22, 2019 –The Florentine Opera Company is excited to announce its 2019 Summer Residency Program Artists – soprano Olivia Doig, soprano Grace Wipfli, tenor Nathaniel Catasca and baritone Ian Murrell.
In its third year, the Florentine Opera’s Summer Residency Program Artists have been selected through a competitive audition process. Throughout the summer, these young singers will receive expert coaching while living on-site in Riverwest and performing at the community events listed below.
THE ARTISTS
Olivia Doig.
Olivia Doig (Soprano) – Olivia Doig first fell in love with performing as a child while singing in children’s choruses at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. She now performs a range of classical and musical theater repertoire across the Midwest. Recent performance highlights include Josephine in HMS Pinafore (Ohio Light Opera), Amor in Ariane et Bachus (Haymarket Opera), the title role in Patience (Gilbert and Sullivan Company, Inc.), the soprano soloist in Vivaldi’s Gloria (Hinsdale Chorale), and Gabriel in Haydn’s Creation (Tallahassee Chorus). Olivia received her Master’s of Music from Florida State University in 2016 and will begin her Doctoral studies at the University of Illinois in 2019
Grace Wipfli.
Grace Wipfli (Soprano) – Grace Wipfli has most recently appeared as Anne Trulove in Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress. She earned her Master’s of Music from Northwestern University, where she studied with Sunny Joy Langton. While at Northwestern, she appeared as The Governess in Britten’s The Turn of the Screw, Donna Anna in Don Giovanni and Sa femme in Darius Milhaud’s Le pauvre Matelot. Ms. Wipfli also served as the Assistant Director of Northwestern’s production of Berlioz’s Béatrice et Bénédict. Last summer, she spent time in Hawaii working on a production of Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd in which she portrayed the Beggar Woman and also covered Mrs. Lovett.
Nathaniel Catasca.
Nathaniel Catasca (Tenor) – Nathaniel Catasca is a tenor from Albuquerque, New Mexico. He is a recent graduate of the Eastman School of Music, having completed a Master’s in Performance and Literature under the study of Robert Swensen. During his undergraduate studies at the University of Oklahoma, Mr. Catasca had his solo debut as Ernesto in Donizetti’s Don Pasquale in the Spring of 2017. That summer, Nathaniel attended the Music Academy of the West, studying with Marilyn Horne, Martin Katz, John Churchwell, among others. During his time at Eastman School of Music, Catasca participated in many events, such as the role of Tenor I in Ricky Ian Gordon’s Tibetan Book of the Dead, as well as taking second place in the Friends of Eastman Opera Vocal Competition.
Ian Murrell.
Ian Murrell (Baritone) – Mr. Murrell’s role credits include Belcore in Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’amore, Le Marquis de la Force in Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites, Enrico in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor, Harry Bailey in Jake Heggie’s It’s A Wonderful Life, and Ned Keene in Benjamin Britten’s Peter Grimes– all at Indiana University Opera Theater. Other operatic credits include Gil in Ermano Wolf-Ferrari’s Il segreto di Susanna, Bob in Gian Carlo Menotti’s The Old Maid and the Thief, and Papageno in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte. Ian has also portrayed Yamadori in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly in a staged production with the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra as well as Riff in Bernstein’s West Side Story under the baton of Maestro Alfred Savia. Ian is an alumnus of the Asheville Lyric Opera young artist program, Aspen Music Festival and School, and the Chautauqua Opera’s Young Artist Program. He is a graduate of the University of Evansville and the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Ian will be joining the chorus of Lyric Opera of Chicago for their production of Götterdämmerung in the Spring of 2020.
SUMMER COMMUNITY PERFORMANCES
The Florentine Opera’s Summer Residency Artists will perform a variety of music throughout the Milwaukee area and beyond. Many of these community performances are free to the public. Find more event details at florentineopera.org.
- Wednesday, June 12 at 6 pm – Colectivo on Humboldt
- Thursday, June 13 at 7 pm – Colectivo at the Lake
- Sunday, June 16 at 4 pm – Estabrook Beer Garden
- Thursday, June 20 at 10 am – Kidz Day at the Marcus Performing Arts Center
- Sunday, June 23 at 4 pm – Opera @ The Hill, Heritage Hill State Park in Green Bay, Wis. ($6 general admission, $10 preferred seating)
- Thursday, June 27 at 7 pm – Colectivo at the Lake
- Sunday, July 7– Summerfest (general admission ticket to Summerfest needed)
- Wednesday, July 10 at 7 pm – Sarah Chudnow Community in Mequon
- Thursday, July 11 at 10:30 am – Kidz Day at the Marcus Performing Arts Center
- Thursday, July 11 at 7 pm – Colectivo at the Lake
- Saturday, July 13 at 4 pm – Estabrook Beer Garden
- Wednesday, July 24 at 6 pm – Colectivo on Humboldt
- Thursday, July 25 at 7 pm – Colectivo at the Lake
The Summer Residency Artists will also perform in two @ The Center Series concerts, which will be held at the Wayne & Kristine Lueders Florentine Opera Center in Riverwest (926 E. Burleigh Street).
- Summer Love – June 28 and 29, 7:30 pm
- All American – July 26 and 27, 7:30 pm
Tickets for the @ The Center Series concerts are $25 and are on sale through the Florentine Opera Box Office at 1-800-32-OPERA.
GRAMMY Award® winning. Three times.
The Florentine Opera Company’s productions reflect the highest musical and theatrical standards, while supporting community and educational programs. As a leader in Wisconsin’s art community and the nation’s sixth-oldest opera company, the Florentine Opera seeks to establish a significant presence in the cultural, educational and civic life of the state of Wisconsin and beyond. The Florentine provides vital arts education experiences for children, nurtures new audiences and expands cultural horizons for the next generation. The Florentine Opera is a cornerstone member organization of the United Performing Arts Fund and receives funds from Milwaukee County and the State of Wisconsin (with support from the National Endowment for the Arts), as well as corporations, foundations and individuals. The Florentine Opera Company is a professional member of OPERA America.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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