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Orange County, California's resident grand opera producing company
600 W. Warner Avenue
Santa Ana, CA 92707
714-546-6000
Press contact: Rebecca Loesch (714.830.6307)
Laura Shane, Peter Goldman, Tim Choy
Davidson and Choy Publicity (323.954.7510)
Photos are available by email request rloesch@operapacific.org
Opera Pacific’s Educational Outreach
Fun With Opera!
Introducing greater Palm Springs
elementary students to the Performing Arts
Opera Pacific, the professional producing opera company of Orange County, will bring its celebrated educational outreach program Fun With Opera! to seven greater Palm Springs area elementary schools between May 9 and 16. Fun with Opera is designed to introduce kindergarten through sixth grade students – many of whom have never heard a live performance – to the performing arts with a fun, fast paced 40-minute presentation. Fun With Opera! Is lead by Opera Pacific Chorusmaster Henri Venanzi.
During Fun With Opera! students hear more than fifteen songs from the operatic repertoire, including music from Carmen, The Barber of Seville, Rigoletto, The Tales of Hoffmann, Gianni Schicchi, La Traviata, and many others. The students learn the basics of opera – how a story is told with music, the kinds of voices that are heard in opera, and how so much of the music has become very recognizable.
This year’s Fun with Opera! cast members are Adriana Manfredi, James Martin Schaefer, Chad Berlinghieri and Maria Cristina Navarro. 16 performances will take place within this week in the desert. At least 34 performances have already been presented around Orange County this season. At an average of 250 students per show, 12,500 students will have seen this educational program by the time the 2006-2007 season draws to a close.
Since its inception, Fun with Opera! has played to thousands of elementary school students throughout Southern California. Opera Pacific Educational Programs are supported in the Palm Springs area by Courtney and Audrey Moe. The Moes, from Desert Hot Springs, provide underserved students in theirs and surrounding districts the unique opportunity to have professional opera singers come into the schools and perform an accessible, educational, and enjoyable program.
The schedule is as follows:
- May 9 – Condor Elementary School
- May 10 – Bubbling Wells Elementary School
- May 11 – Rio Vista Elementary School
- May 12 – Cathedral City Public Library
- May 14 – Rancho Mirage Elementary School
- May 15 – Cielo Vista Elementary School
- May 16 – Wenzlaff Elementary School
About the Artists
Adriana Manfredi, Mezzo-soprano, completed her Master of Fine Arts degree in Vocal Performance at the California Institute of the Arts, and also holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education (Vocal Emphasis) and Bachelor of Arts in English from Oberlin College and Conservatory. Currently on the rosters of the Los Angeles Master Chorale, Los Angeles Philharmonic (Chorus), Los Angeles Chamber Singers, and Opera Pacific, she enjoys singing a variety of classical vocal repertoire including chamber music, art song, opera, and new music. She is entering her second year on voice faculty in the Opera Conservatory at the Orange County High School of the Performing Arts in Santa Ana (OCHSA), Ms. Manfredi coaches the Divas Down the Street and Madrigal Singers ensembles.
Long time member of the Opera Pacific family and graduate of the company’s resident artist program, tenor Chad Berlinghieri has entered his 14th season with the company. Most recently he signed with Bernard Uzan and the Pinnacle Arts Management team in New York. Mr. Berlinghieri has performed many roles with Opera Pacific. In January 2007 he performed Nemorino in the company’s “Opera in the Raw” production of The Elixir of Love and was seen as the messenger in 2006’s Aïda. He sang The Roasted Swan in Carmina Burana with the Riverside Philharmonic and The South Coast Symphony. In Sprin 2006 he performed the roles of Frederic in The Pirates of Penzance, Borsa in Rigoletto with Dayton Opera, and Uriel in Haydn’s Creation with Dayton Philharmonic. He also also sang with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl for the past three summers.
Baritone James Martin Schaefer has an active performing career throughout California. He recently appeared in a mainstage role with Opera Pacific as Masetto in Don Giovanni. He also appeared as the baritone soloist for Igor Stravinsky’s ballet Les Noces, performed with Les Grande Ballet Canadien de Montreal, The Jailer in Tosca in MaestroJohn Mauceri’s final appearance conducting opera as Director of Music of the Hollywood Bowl, and as Belcore in Opera Pacific’s “Opera in the Raw” production of Donizett’s The Elixir of Love. Mr. Schaefer’s operatic credits include The Mandarin in Puccini’s Turandot, The Jailer in Puccini’s Tosca, Commissionaire in Verdi’s La Traviata, and is a member of Opera Pacific’s O.P.E.R.A. artist program. Mr. Schaefer has appeared as a frequent soloist throughout the area including Schubert’s Mass in G, Mozart’s Vesperae solennes de confessore, Beethoven’s Chorale Fantasie, Herbert Howell’s Requiem, Arvo Pärt’s Passion of St. John, Luis Bacalov’s Misa Tango, and Faure’s Requiem under the baton of Bobby McFerrin. Mr. Schaefer has also appeared as a soloist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, the Pacific Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Pops Esplanade! Orchestra, and the Long Beach Symphony.
Maria Cristina Navarro, soprano, has given recitals, orchestral guest appearances and opera performances in the Philippines, Switzerland, Austria and the United States. Her most notable performances were with the Biel, Basel and Baden Theaters, Stadtorchester Solothurn, Children's Orchestra Society of New York, Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra and the Filipino Artist Series. She has sung solos with the John Alexander Singers, Pacific Chorale, Cypress Masterworks Chorale, Orange Coast College Chorale and the Philippine Madrigal Singers. She recently performed the roles of Queen of the Night and Rosina with the San Diego Opera Ensemble. She sings with the Los Angeles Opera Education and Outreach Program, Opera Pacific, and was an Artist in Residence of El Paso Opera in Texas.
About Opera Pacific
Opera Pacific has established itself as one of the finest professional opera companies in the nation. Opera Pacific's mainstage productions, extensive community outreach programs, and energetic Guild Alliance combine to create a cultural resource for all of Southern California. More than 670,000 people have enjoyed Opera Pacific's productions at the Orange County Performing Arts Center, while over 600,000 young people have discovered the world of opera through the company's in-school presentations, Student Previews, and nationally recognized Opera Camps.
OPERA PACIFIC’S 22nd Season (2007-2008) begins with Puccini’s La Bohème, October 24, 28, November 1, 3, 2007, followed by Mozart’s The Magic Flute, January 23, 27, 31, February 2, 2008, and Floyd’s Susannah, May 14, 18, 22, 24, 2008. All performances are in Segerstrom Hall at the Orange County Performing Arts Center.
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