The anticipated Angels Vocal Art (AVA) Opera Festival is set to begin its summer season Saturday, July 8 in a grand manner with a gala performance of Giacomo Puccini’s renowned opera, TOSCA.
It is set to take place at the Manoukian Performing Arts Center in Pasadena and promises a wonderful evening of arts and culture. The performance is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., with a reception to follow.
AVA Artistic Director Kristof Van Grysperre will conduct a full orchestra on stage, with staging by director Diana Wyenn and projections by Aaron Ball.
TOSCA, a three-act opera masterpiece, seamlessly intertwines political intrigue, love, jealousy, and murder. Set in a time of unrest, the tragic storyline follows the journey of Floria Tosca, a passionate and envious opera singer, her artistic lover Mario Cavaradossi, and the corrupt Chief of Police, Baron Scarpia. Amid the turbulence of their political landscape, Tosca must make an agonizing choice: surrender herself to Scarpia or risk the life of her beloved.
The principal cast of TOSCA will feature world-class performers, including Met Opera artists Jessica Sandidge as Floria Tosca and Todd Wilander as Mario Cavaradossi. The seasoned stage veteran Roberto Perlas Gomez will grace the stage as Baron Scarpia. Sejin Park has been cast as Sacristan, Jacob Bowman as Angelotti, and Jeff Wang as Spoletta.
Tickets for this performance range from $59 to $149 and can be conveniently purchased online at angelsvocalart.org. Additionally, students are offered a special $30 discount, making it accessible for young opera enthusiasts to partake in this remarkable experience.
Angels Vocal Art, under the visionary leadership of Artistic Director Kristof Van Grysperre, holds a deep commitment to nurturing emerging opera talents. By providing them with the opportunity to perform alongside seasoned professionals in fully staged opera productions, AVA strives to promote the art form among the general public and redefine the boundaries of opera through the presentation of modern productions of the highest caliber.
“Angels Vocal Art is committed to nurturing emerging young talent and giving them the opportunity to perform in fully staged opera productions with a professional orchestra. We strive to promote the art form among the general public, and to broaden the definition of opera by staging modern productions of the finest quality,” says Van Grysperre.
The summer festival has been a highlight for AVA, receiving widespread acclaim. In 2019, they produced Giacomo Puccini’s Il Trittico, a trilogy of one-act operas. The following fall season saw AVA’s triumphant concert at New York City’s iconic Carnegie Hall, solidifying its reputation in the opera world.
AVA’s repertoire includes a range of fully staged productions featuring professional orchestras. Past performances have included Bernstein’s Candide, Adam Gorb’s ANYA17, Verdi’s La Traviata, as well as various editions of Opera Potpourri. Even during the challenging times of the pandemic, AVA continued to innovate and produce memorable experiences, such as their rendition of Poulenc’s La Voix Humaine at their state-of-the-art recording and film studio.
While the organization remains active throughout the year, its unique Summer Opera Festival that stands out as the sole active performance series in the LA County region dedicated solely to showcasing operatic performances. The festival serves as a haven of artistic expression, captivating audiences and reaffirming the power of opera as a timeless art form.
Indulge in an evening of exquisite music, mesmerizing staging, and exceptional talent.
For further details and ticket information, please visit angelsvocalart.org.
