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2010 Cast: Bio's, Photos, Recordings

"O Zittre Nicht"

Marianna Benedict, soprano

(recorded in 2008)

Marianna Benedict,

Soprano

Marianna Benedict, Lyric Coloratura Soprano

2010 Season Roles:

"Susanna" in scenes from Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro

"Despina" in scenes from Mozart's Così fan Tutte

"Madame Goldentrill" in Mozart's The Impresario

BIOGRAPHY

Marianna Benedict has been studying classical music for 20 years, starting with the violin at age 9. As a violinist, she received the National School Orchestra Award in 1999, and performed as section leader in the Stony Brook Orchestra. Problems with tendonitis persuaded her to set the violin aside and try classical voice. She quickly developed a sound technique as a coloratura soprano with instructor Florence Hechtel, a former Lincoln Center recitalist, Ms. Senior New York, and opera singer. After only 2 years of study, she performed as a soloist at Carnegie Hall in 2002. Later that same year, Mrs. Benedict went on to win 1st Place in the Music Teacher's National Association Collegiate Voice Competition, NY division, and then won 3rd Place in the Eastern U.S. division of the same competition. She would return to Carnegie two more times as a soprano soloist, in 2003 and 2008. While earning her B.A. in Music Performance at Stony Brook University, she also traveled to Manhattan regularly to perform with the Mannes Opera. Along with numerous staged scenes at Mannes, Mrs. Benedict also starred as "Angèle," the leading female role of Lehar's The Count of Luxembourg. In addition to numerous solo recitals and opera scene performances at Stony Brook University, Mrs. Benedict also traveled and performed around the Long Island and Manhattan area as a soprano soloist with Stony Brook's Baroque Ensemble. She also performed as a soprano soloist in Stony Brook's production of Handel's Messiah, and in 2002 was the recipient of the Palmedo Scholarship for Excellence in Vocal Performance. Her broad education at Stony Brook University included studies in vocal technique & performance, piano, violin, conducting, music theory and history, Italian, French, vocal lyric diction and acting. After receiving her degree in 2005, Mrs. Benedict performed with the Gilbert & Sullivan Light Opera Company of Long Island, singing the role of "Lady Psyche" with full orchestra in their production of Princess Ida. She has recently become a member of Long Island's Performer's Club, where she regularly delights audiences with vivid and energetic coloratura arias.

Currently, Mrs. Benedict is striving to make a splash with her newly formed company, the Amadeus Opera, in which she is directing, promoting, managing and starring in this season's production of "A Mozart Double Bill," which includes scenes from Mozart's "Le Nozze di Figaro" and "Così fan Tutte" and the complete "The Impresario." Mrs. Benedict intends to use her broad experience as a musician, performer, teacher and director to bring fun and lively performances with high quality singing to Long Island opera fans, while giving talented local singers an opportunity to perform for income. As a singer, Mrs. Benedict understands all the hard work and preparation that goes into a quality performance. Therefore, it is the goal of her company to compensate singers and musicians for their hard work by sharing 50% of the gross income from ticket sales with the people who make the show possible.

Mrs. Benedict also owns and operates Marianna's Music Studio, where she instructs voice, violin, piano and acting to over 70 pupils. She also teaches private voice lessons at the Stony Brook College Preparatory School. In her spare time, Mrs. Benedict enjoys studying Goju-Ryu Karate with her husband and head of the Seitouha Karate system, Sensei John Benedict, and step-son, John Benedict, III. She also enjoys playing classical guitar.

About the Aria:

"O Zittre Nicht" is an aria from the German opera, "The Magic Flute" by W.A. Mozart, one of his most popular works. The aria is sung by the character The Queen of the Night, who pleads with the young prince Tamino to rescue her daughter Pamina from her captor, Sarastro. During the aria, the Queen recalls the events of her daughter's abduction, then promises Tamino that the beautiful Pamina will be his forever if he is brave enough to rescue her.

Translation:

O tremble not, my dear son.

You are innocent, wise, and pious.

A young man such as you,

can best console a mother's grieving heart.

Suffering is my lot,

for my daughter is not with me.

Through her I've lost all happiness;

a villain made off with her!

I still see her trembling with alarm and shock,

shaking with panic, struggling in fear.

I had to see her stolen from me,

"Ah help!" was all she cried.

But her pleading was in vain,

for my help was too weak.

You will go and free her,

you will be my daughter's rescuer!

And if I see you are victorious,

then she shall be yours forever!

Megan Coates, Soprano

2010 Season Roles:

"Marcellina" in scenes from Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro

"Dorabella" in scenes from Mozart's Così fan Tutte

"Madame Goldentrill" in Mozart's The Impresario

"Je dis que rien ne

m'épouvante "

Megan Coates, soprano

BIOGRAPHY

Megan Coates has a versatile voice and style earning her success in the roles of Mrs. Peachum (The Beggars Opera), Donna Anna (Don Giovanni),Fiordiligi (Cosí fan tutte), Mimi (La Bohème), Rosalinde (Die Fledermaus), Cousin Hebe (HMS Pinafore), and Mrs. Harcourt (Anything Goes). Her international opportunities include AIMS Opera in Austria; Fidenza Opera in Italy; and Opera Nederland in the Netherlands. She has performed with New York Lyric Opera Theatre, Opera Company of Brooklyn, Morningside Opera, and Liederkranz Opera Theatre in NYC and is the recipient of the 2008 Allied Arts artist grant.

Megan currently resides in New York City where she studies voice with Ashley Putnam.

http://www.megancoates.com

About the Aria:

"Je dis que rien ne m'épouvante" is an aria from the French opera, Carmen by Bizet. The aria is sung by the character "Micaela", a chaste and beautiful young woman in love with the soldier, Don José. Unfortunately, Don José has become hopelessly obsessed with the fickle seductress, Carmen, and Don José abandoned his post to follow the beautiful gypsy and her band of thieves in a life of crime. Micaela follows Don José through some dangerous territory in order to save him from Carmen's clutches and return him home to see his dying mother. During the aria, Micaela contemplates her fears in this treacherous endeavor, but proclaims that her faith in God will see her though.

Translation:

This is the smugglers' usual hiding place.

He is here, I shall see him!

And the duty which his mother has assigned me,

Without trembling, I shall accomplish it.

I say that nothing can frighten me.

I say, alas, that I respond to myself;

But I pretend to be the courageous one in vain...

From the bottom of my heart, I die of fright!

Alone in this savage place

All alone I am afraid,

But I am wrong to have fear.

You will give me courage;

You will protect me, Lord!

I am going to see this woman face to face,

Whose cursed guile

Has ended up making an infamous person

Of him whom I once loved!

She is dangerous... she is beautiful!

But I do not want to be afraid!

No, no, I do not want to be afraid!

I will speak up before her...ah!

Lord, you will protect me!

Protect me! O Lord!

Give me courage!

Protect me, Lord!

John Farnworth, Actor

2010 Season Role:

"Mr. Scruples" in Mozart's The Impresario

BIOGRAPHY

John Farnworth was born and raised in West Babylon, N.Y and as of late has appeared in 3 feature length films and 9 independent shorts. His most challenging and satisfying role to date was that of "Austin", the Graveyard Keeper, in "The Myth". He was also universally praised

for his work in the five month making of the TV documentary "act up" which is airing on the Dish

Network in 2010. John is thrilled to be currently performing in the production of "The Impressario"

at the Amadeus Opera. He currently resides with his wife Cheryl in Lynbrook,N.Y.

Samantha Guevrekian,

Soprano

2010 Season Roles:

"Contessa" in scenes from Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro

"Fiordiligi" in scenes from Mozart's Così fan Tutte

"Miss Silverpeal" in Mozart's The Impresario

"Emily's Aria"

Samantha Guevrekian,

soprano

BIOGRAPHY

Versatile American soprano, Samantha Pruyn Guevrekian, noted for her “pure, sweet-sounding soprano voice,” received her Bachelor of Music degree from Northwestern University in 2007. While there, she performed the role of Sister Gertrude in Dialogues of the Carmelites. Following her graduation, Ms. Guevrekian enrolled in the Master of Music degree program at Stony Brook University, which she has recently completed. Ms. Guevrekian has performed the roles of Belinda in Dido and Aeneas, Filia in Carissimi’s Jephte, and Despina in Così Fan Tutte with the Stony Brook Opera. Other recent operatic engagements include Marzelline in Fidelio with the Memphis Opera and Song Academy, Pamina in Die Zauberflöte at the Hawaii Performing Arts Festival, Drusilla in Purcell’s Dioclesian at the Amherst Early Music Festival, and covering the role of Belinda in Purcell’s Dido & Aeneas with the Yard Arts Opera Company. Most recently, Samantha made her debut with the Bronx Opera Company as Inez in Weber’s Die Drei Pintos. In review of this production, Opera News Online stated, “Best of these was clean-toned lyric soprano Samantha Guevrekian, who summoned up the charm and trills for the lovely melismatic song of Inez.”

Ms. Guevrekian is also sought after to premier numerous contemporary pieces, which have included Another Dawn by Larry Moss at Gilder Lehrman Hall, O Wondrous Singer!, by Curtis Curtis-Smith at Merkin Hall, and Ed Smaldone’s song cycle, Cantare di Amore, at Merkin Hall.

The recipient of several prestigious awards, Ms. Guevrekian won First Place in the Society of American Musicians Competition, the Bravo Award from the Bel Canto Foundation, was a Finalist in the Friends of Austria Competition as well as the Accadia Competition for Operatic Voice and the New York Lyric Opera Theatre Vocal Competition. She has also received a Vocal Scholarship from Stony Brook University and won First Place in the Paul Straney Vocal Scholarship Competition. She has most recently received an Encouragement Prize from The Gerda Lissner Foundation International Vocal Competition and has come in Second Place in both the David Adams Art Song Competition and the Jenny Lind Competition.

Erik Hagedorn, Baritone

2010 Season Role:

"Mr. Bluff" in Mozart's The Impresario

Young-Ha Kim, Tenor

2010 Season Roles:

"Ferrando" in scenes from Mozart's Così fan Tutte

"Mr. Angel" in Mozart's The Impresario

"Recondita Armonia"

Young-Ha Kim, Tenor

About the Aria

This aria is from Puccini's Tosca, and is sung by the character "Cavaradossi." Cavaradossi, a painter who is working on a portrait of the Madonna in a church, uses an unsuspecting church-goer as a model for the portrait. As he paints, he comes across a locket with a miniature portrait of his lover, Tosca. In the aria, Cavaradossi compares the different looks of the two women, but ultimately declares his preference for Tosca.

Translation:

Hidden harmony of diverse beauties,

Floria, my passionate lover, is a brunette.

And you, unknown beauty

are framed by blonde hair.

You have blue eyes,

Tosca has dark eyes.

The mysterious art

mixes the different beauties together.

But while I paint her

my only thought,

Ah! My only thought is of you!

Tosca, it's you!

Naomi Pierro, Soprano

2010 Season Roles:

"Contessa" in scenes from Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro

"Dorabella" in scenes from Mozart's Così fan Tutte

"Miss Silverpeal" in Mozart's The Impresario

BIOGRAPHY

Young-Ha Kim possesses a beautiful and powerful tenor voice. In 2002, he won 2nd Place in the National Association of Teachers of Singing Competition (NATS). He received his M.M in Vocal Performance from Indiana University in 2004, and then went on to earn his Doctor of Music Arts in Vocal Performance from Stony Brook University in 2007. He is a contracted singer with the New York Art Song Association, and has been a Principal Singer of the "Northport Opera Night Concert Series" since 2004. Mr. Kim currently resides in Long Island where he teaches and performs regularly.

Denise Fillion, Accompanist

BIOGRAPHY:

Denise Fillion received her B.M. from Western Washington University in 2003. She was the Head of Staff Accompanying at Western Washington Universityin 2004. In 2006, she received her M.M. from SUNY Stony Brook, and is currently working towards finishing up her DMA degree at SUNY Stony Brook.

BIOGRAPHY:

Erik Hagedorn was born on Long Island. He began his performance career at an early age. Starting when he was 10 years old, he starred in several Creative Ministries' plays including West Side Story, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and Oliver. Erik also developed a love for creating music. He has learned to play instruments such as the acoustic guitar and the keyless-Irish flute. He is currently the lead singer and songwriter for the band Mindless Truth, an original rock band based out of Long Island. After a year of studying opera, Erik is looking forward to his first opera performance.

"Quando m'en vo" from

Puccini's La Boheme

About the Aria

"Quando me'n vo" is a soprano aria from Puccini's Italian opera, La Bohème, sung in Act II by the character Musetta. Having spotted her former lover Marcello, Musetta waltzes in on the arm or another man. To regain Marcello's attention, she sings of how everyone always notices her beauty when she goes out.

Translation

When I walk all alone in the street

People stop and stare at me

And look for my whole beauty from head to feet.

And then I taste the slight yearning which transpires from their eyes and which is able

to perceive from manifest charms

to most hidden beauties.

So the scent of desire is all around me.

It makes me happy!

And you, while knowing, reminding and longing, you shrink from me?

I know it very well:

you don't want to express your anguish,

but you feel as if you're dying!

Omar Dufreny, Actor

BIOGRAPHY:

Omar Dufreny was born in Ocotland Mexico and lived in the Caribbean Island of Jamaica. At a young age he relocated to the United States to live in New York . Omar grew up in Long Island, NY where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Long Island University. While at Long Island University, he also played college baseball. Omar then continued his graduate studies at Stony Brook University in Linguistics. Omar’s educational studies have helped him in his acting career and has always motivated him to learn to be the best actor he could be.

In 2009, Omar played Minor League baseball in Houston with the Coastal Kingfish after being traded from Texarkana Gunslingers. In 2005, Omar experienced his first taste of professional baseball when he was signed by the Worcester Tornadoes in the Can Am Independent League. During the same year, he also played for the Atlantic Hawks in the Pedrin Zorrilla Independent League. After exhibiting much speed, defense, power, and hitting prowess when achieving a .330 batting average, Omar was honored Rookie of the Year title in the Pedrin Zorrillia Independent League and went to play in the Dominican Republic for a short period of time.

In addition to his acting career, Omar currently writes for examiner.com as the Stony Brook University Events Examiner. To view his page go to http://www.examiner.com/x-45064-Stony-Brook-University-Events-Examiner.

Omar also writes children books that relates from his real life experience and focuses on sharing positive and encouraging messages to young readers.

Omar overall is very hard working and dedicated to performing his roles as close to the actual character as possible. Omar takes pride in his preparation and is commited to giving the audience the best show. The Amadeus Opera will be Omar’s first theater performance. Omar also has had television experience as a coach on MTV’s Made and this summer, he will be appearing on BET’s Almost Married. Omar’s television experience and talents will make for a smooth transition into the performing arts.

About the Aria:

Ned Rorem’s Our Town is a three-act operatic adaptation of Thornton Wilder’s original play, Our Town. It is a story based on the everyday lives of average rural town citizens in the early twentieth century. Emily’s Aria takes place in the final act when Emily Webb's ghost time travels back to her 12th birthday after dying in childbirth. The aria begins as Emily converses with the Stage Manager who agreed to take her back to the specific date against his own advice. She quickly realizes how everyone, including herself, fails to value life, the little things especially; “shoe and socks…coffee and food…gratitude.” Although still modern in his composition, Rorem’s discordant accompaniment does not detract from, but in fact supports the melodic line floating above it, easily tugging at one’s heartstrings. The author's concept of pursuing life rather than just living it, “does anybody ever realize life while they live it,” is truly the soul of this aria. Once Emily realizes she, and no one else during their time on earth, appreciates life to its fullest, she cries out to the Stage Manager, “take me back up the hill,” to her grave of course, where she will sit amongst the other souls, never understanding how the living can be so blind.

2010 Season Role:

"Mr. Scruples" in Mozart's The Impresario

BIOGRAPHY

Naomi Pierro is thrilled to be making her opera debut with the Amadeus Opera Company. She is a 27 year old first soprano and currently teaches voice lessons to students who share the same passion for singing as she does. She has been under the vocal tutelage of an amazing singer and teacher, Florence Hechtel for the last 15 years , and has performed in many recitals, including one in the Weill Recital Hall in Carnegie Hall. Naomi has her Bachelor's in Music and has been in various musicals in the community, is a soloist at Smithtown Gospel Tabernacle as well as a part of the choir , a featured soloist at various performances at Five Towns College, and has performed in Gilbert and Sullivan’s “The Mikado” as Piti-Sing with the Babylon Chorale. She looks forward to many more opportunities to express her gifts and talents in the future to come!

The Amadeus Opera

The Martial and Performing Arts Center