Cycle | Οpera
19th, 20th, 21th, 22th, 23th, 24th and 25th of July 2021
A CO-PRODUCTION WITH THE TEATRO GRATTACIELO OF NEW YORK, IN CO-ORGANIZATION WITH THE REGION OF CRETE
Monday 19- Sunday 25, July 2021 | 21:30 | Free admission, with entrance tickets
“One of those works that even a first-class genius like Mozart manages only once in his lifetime.” That is how Albert Einstein defined Idomeneo, Re di Creta, Mozart’s third venture into the “opera seria”. Idomeneo is a turning point in the career of Mozart and is a decisive step away from his young work towards the more refined and individual expression of his mature works. It is a work of theatrical integrity characterized by a dramatic continuity not seen in Mozart’s music previously; the action on stage is constant and the narrative is rich of visceral music that is as tender as the tragic Ilia, as hysterical as the irascible Electra, and as terrifying as Neptune’s sea-monster.
* Selected excerpts from the opera "Idomeneas, King of Crete", with piano accompanied.
You can get free ticket here.
Direction: Stefanos Koroneos
Lighting & Projections Design: Jon DeGaetano
Costume Design: Costas Tzanedakis
Interpretatio
Idomeneo: Thomas Massey
Ilia: Carla Cottini
Electra: Kristel Vinter
Idamante: Kirsten Scott
Arbace: Marios Maniatopoulos
La voce di Nettuno: Rick Agster / Manos Christofakakis
Piano accompaniment: Dimitris Vezyroglou
BIOS
Stefanos Koroneos | Director
Few singers boast a career as long, successful and varied as that of baritone Stefanos Koroneos. Broad repertoire, both old and new, has taken him to opera and concert stages worldwide, and his performances reflect his years of experience. Past seasons have seen Mr. Koroneos at the Teatro alla Scala, the Rossini Festival in Pesaro, the theaters of Parma, Pisa, Livorno and Bussetto, as well as the Greek National Opera, the Rome Easter Festival, the Bolshoi Opera, the Seoul Opera, Oslo’s Den Nye Opera, Staatstheater Freiburg and Theater Osnabrûck. In the United States he has performed with the New York City Opera, the Opera Orchestra of New York, Palm Beach Opera, Tampa Opera and Connecticut Opera, among others, in roles such as the Count and Figaro in “Le Nozze di Figaro”, Don Bartolo in “Il Barbiere di Siviglia”, Sharpless in “Madama Butterfly”, Dandini and Don Magnifico in “La Cenerentola”, Ford in “Falstaff”, Silvio in “Pagliacci”, and the title role in Christoph Willibald Gluck’s “Orfeo”. Recordings include “I Vespri Siciiani” with the Verdi Festival of Bussetto, a PBS broadcast of “La Bohème”, as well as projects with RAI (Italy) and the Sky International Classic Channel.
As Mr. Koroneos opens a new chapter as General and Artistic Director of Teatro Grattacielo, he brings with him the experience of having worked with some of opera’s most distiguished stage directors and conductors, including Franco Zeffirelli, Fabrizio Melano, Moisés Kaufman, and Richard Bonynge. In 2021, he directs Mozart’s “Idomeneo” in Heraklion, Greece and with Teatro Grattacielo in New York, followed by Mascagni’s “L’Amico Fritz” for the Phoenicia Festival of the Voice and “Don Giovianni” for the Vincerò Academy in New York City.
Jon DeGaetano | Lighting & Projections Designer
Jon DeGaetano is a scenographer and artist focused on building environments that encourage genuine human interaction. His work is focused on design performance, and collaborative making. Most recent works include “Fedora” for Teatro Grattacielo, “Exhausted” as a creator (The Tank), “Love’s Labour’s Lost”, set and lighting (Atlantic Stage 2/NYU), “Will They Play Golf on Mars”, as a designer collaborator with Janine Conningham (Dixon Place), Lacy Rose and her Starling Quartet, and as a designer for (HERE Arts), MFA Brooklyn College.
Costas Tzanedakis | Costume Designer
Born in Athens Greece in a historic theatrical family, since his father George was working with Karolos Koun and Yannis Tsarouchis for the Theatro Technis (The Art Theater) in Athens and at the same time in several theatrical, movie and opera productions in Greece.
Together with his father, he created colors for “Zorba the Greek”, several Greek, American and European films and also created the costumes and sets for Maria Callas for her performances in USA and Europe. Kostas has worked with Theodoros Angelopoulos and at the Greek National Opera with the most brilliant designers, like G. Patsas, G. Ziakas, V. Fotopoulos, S. Charatsidis, Lisa Zaimi, P. Brooks and Ch. Obolensky.
In 1989, he was invited by the Shakespeare Theater at the Folger to work for the Fiftieth-year anniversary with Michael Kahn as Artistic Director and Kelly McGillis. At the same time, he started working for the National Gallery doing restoration on tapestries and on a number of films with Clint Eastwood, Julia Roberts and Eddie Murphy.
In 1990, he was called to work in NYC on the Broadway hit “Beauty and the Beast”, where he founded his company Colibri and started working within the Fashion industry in the USA, Europe, and Japan. He has worked for the Getty Museum, the Jewish Museum, the Metropolitan Museum, Colonial Williamsburg, Radio City, The Bank of America in World Street, The Carter Grove Plantation, the Oscars, Golden Globes, Cannes Film Festival and all the Fashion Shows in the USA.
Thomas Massey | Tenor
Thomas Massey is an American Tenor who began his studies in Tampa, Florida under the guidance of his grandparents Soprano Rosalia Maresca and tenor Mario Laurenti. He moved to New York City and completed his Bachelors in Vocal Performance in 2016 at Mannes College of Music where he studied with Arthur Levy and performed with the Mannes Opera under the direction of Maestro Joseph Colaneri. Thomas has been a young artist at Opera Company Of Middleburry, Sarasota Opera (Studio Artist), St.Petersburg Opera, Greek Opera Studio of Syros, and New York City Opera. His professional debut was in 2016, in Florida Lyric Opera’s production of “Viva La Mamma” in the role of Guglielmo. Other career highlights include his New York City Opera Debut as ‘‘Il Giovanetto’’, in the 2018 production of “L’Amore Dei Tre Re”, singing the lead role of the Prince in the world premiere of Anton Coppola’s “Lady Swanwhite” at Opera Tampa in 2019, and The Prince in Respighi's “La Bella Dormente New Bosco” in Teatro Grattacielo's Verismo Trilogy at John J College. He also made his Carnegie Hall Debut in 2019, singing the tenor soloist in Mozart’s “Spazzenmesse” and sang in the 2019 and 2020 world premieres of Harry Bialor's opera “Warsaw Uprising” in the role of Mordecai Agnelevich, the leader of the Warsaw rebellion. He has sung most of the lyric tenor repertoire including Alfredo from Verdi’s “La Traviata”, Rodolfo from Puccini’s “La Boheme”, Tamino from Mozarts “Magic Flute”, and Rinuccio from Puccini’s “Gianni Schicchi”. Upcoming performances for the 2020/2021 season include “Faust” in Teatro Grattacielo’s production of Boito's ''Mefistofele'' and “The Steuermann” in Opera Maine's production of ''The Flying Dutchman''.
*Teatro Grattacielo/Camerata Bardi Voca Academy Young Artist.
Carla Cottini | Soprano
Based in Berlin and born in São Paulo, Carla has played leading roles in renowned operas by W.A.Mozart, G.Donizetti, G.Verdi, G.Puccini, J.Massenet, E.Humperdinck, F.Lehar, R.Strauss, among others, in important opera houses around the world such as Teatro Municipal de São Paulo, Teatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro, Palau de la música de Valencia, Teatro Regio di Parma, Teatro Sociale di Rovigo, Teatro São Pedro.
Her repertoire includes roles such as Susanna (Le Nozze di Figaro), Nanetta (Falstaff), Giulietta (Capuleti and Montecchi), Gilda (Rigoletto), Norina (Don Pasquale), Musetta (La Boheme), Juliette (Romeo and Juliette-Gounod), Oscar (Un ballo in Maschera) Adina (L'elisir d'amore), Euridice (Orfeo ed Euridice-Gluck), Gretel (Hänsel und Gretel), Despina (Cosi fan tutte), Zerlina (Don Giovanni), Sophie (Der Rosenkavalier), Adele (Die Fledermaus) among others.
*Teatro Grattacielo/Camerata Bardi Vocal Academy Young Artist.
Kirsten Scott | Mezzosoprano
Kirsten Scott has been described as a “creamy toned mezzo-soprano with charm to burn.” For the 2019-2020 season, Kirsten was one of four singers with the Metropolitan Opera's year-long educational collaboration with Saint David’s School in New York City. In the fall of 2020, she debuted the role of Natalie in episode one of The Decameron Opera Coalition's award-winning opera, “Tales From a Safe Distance”. After its world premiere, the new opera was selected for preservation in the United States Library of Congress as a notable contribution to the performing arts during the COVID-19 pandemic. She will make her European opera role debut in 2021, as Idamante in Camerata Bardi Vocal Academy's new production of Mozart's “Idomeneo,Re di Creta”.
Her career launched when she was selected by Florida Grand Opera for its young artist program, and by Portland Opera for its Resident Artist Program in 2015. She made her professional debut with Florida Grand Opera as Vera Boronel in Menotti’s “The Consul”. In March 2018, she made her Carnegie Hall debut in the iconic Stern Hall as a soloist with Choirs of America. She has performed other roles such as Rosina in “Il Barbiere di Siviglia”, Cherubino in “Le Nozze di Figaro”, Nicklausse in “Les Contes d’Hoffmann”, Flora in “La Traviata”, Zweite Dame in “Die Zauberflöte”, Zerlina in “Don Giovanni”, and Stephano in “Romeo et Juliette”, to name a few.
*Teatro Grattacielo/Camerata Bardi Vocal Academy Young Artist.
Kristel Vinter | Soprano
Danish soprano Kristel Vinter is currently studying at the David Seligman Opera School at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff, Wales. Kristel is also a young artist for the 2021/22 season with Teatro Grattacielo and its Camerata Bardi Vocal Academy with whom she will make her debut as Elettra in Mozart’s “Idomeneo,Re di Creta” in July 2021 under the baton of conductor Myron Michailidis. A scholarship holder of the David Seligman Opera School, Kristel has performed the roles of Donna Elvira in “Don Giovanni”, Contessa Almaviva (cover) in “Le Nozze di Figaro”, Agathe (scenes) in “Der Freischutz”, Rosalinde (scenes) in “Die Fledermaus” Pamina (scenes) in “Die Zauberflotte” and Ellen Orford (scenes) in “Peter Grimes”. She has also sung in Vaughan Williams’ “Riders to the Sea”, Rooster/Jay and Fox (cover) in “The Cunning Little Vixen”, both with Byre Opera. Also, at home on the concert and oratorio stage, Kristel has featured as a soloist in works such as Haydn’s “Missa Sancti Nicolai”, Bach’s “Magnificat”, Handel’s “Dixit Dominus” and Haydn’s “The Creation”.
*Teatro Grattacielo/Camerata Bardi Vocal Academy Young Artist.
Marios Maniatopoulos | Tenor
Marios Maniatopoulos is a Greek lyric tenor based both in Athens and Lisbon. He currently continues his studies with the sopranos Elisabete Matos and Dora Rodrigues at the Escola Superior de Artes Aplicadas (Portugal). Some of his future projects include: Arbace in “Idomeneo” as a young artist of Teatro Grattacielo´s Camerata Bardi Vocal Academy under the baton of Myron Michailidis, Bastien in “Bastien und Bastienne”, meant for a younger audience, and another international project to be released soon. Marios in 2020, debuted the role of Basilio with the baroque ensemble Divino Sospiro, in Telemann´s “Don Quichotte “Auf der Hochzeit des Comacho”. He has performed, as a soloist, with the Orchestra of Guimarães, Sinfonietta of Ponta Delgada (Azores) and the Symphonic Orchestra of the Hellenic Open University. Has also performed, First Sailor in “Dido and Aeneas”, with the Municipal and Regional Theater of Patras and with Nova Opera de Lisboa. Again, in Patras he performed the title role in Gluck´s “Orphee”, and Pedrillo in “Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail”. Some of his recent works also include Mozart´s “Requiem” (solo), Beethoven´s “Fantasia Coral” (solo), and a solo recital with the pianist João Lima. During the academic year 2014/2015, he was part of the Drama School of the Municipal and Regional Theater of Patras and in 2015 he became a member of the Opera Studio of the same theater, where he worked under the direction of Michael Seibel and Eleni Liona. He has worked with: Harrison Birtwistle, Wiebke Göetjes, Frank Van Aken, Georgios Galanis, Faidra Giannelou, Mário João Alves, José Eduardo Gomes, among others.
*Teatro Grattacielo/ Camerata Bardi Vocal Academy Young Artist.
Rick Agster | Bass
Rick Agster (Boroff and Gretsch cover), bass, provides “excellent comic relief” and a “warm basso voice and persona.” Rick most recently appeared as Simone in “Gianni Schicchi” with Regina Opera, as Benoit/Alcindoro in “La Boheme” with MidAtlantic Opera; and premiered the role of Police Chief Bimson in the new opera “The Silk City” with Garden State Opera. Notable roles include Zuniga in “Carmen”, Commendatore in “Don Giovanni”, Doctor Grenvil in “La Traviata”, Antonio and Bartolo in “Le Nozze di Figaro” and Bogdonowitsch in “The Merry Widow”.
Manos Christofakakis | Bass
Manos Christofakakis was born in Heraklion, Crete in 1989. He graduated from Acropolis Conservatory in Athens in 2011, with Distinction and 1st Prize under the guidance of the tenor Zachos Terzakis. He has attended masterclasses with the Hungarian soprano Mária Temesi, the Russian baritone Vladimir Chernov, the Greek bass Dimitri Kavrakos, the Ukrainian soprano Victoria Loukianetz, the Mexican bass-baritone Noe Colin, the Mexican tenor Jesus Leon and the Greek soprano Katerina Tsagaraki. In August 2020, he paticipated at Vienna Opera Academy with scholarship. He sings bass and bass-baritone repertory. Among his recent performances are the title role at Mozart's “Don Giovanni” at Vienna Opera Festival (2020), the title role at Xanthoulis' children opera “The Selfish Giant” at the Cultural Conference Center of Heraklion (2020), Uberto at Pergolesi's “La Serva Padrona” (2019) by the Lyric Theater of Crete at Heraklion open-air festival, El Payador at Piazzolla's tango-operetta “Maria de Buenos Aires” (2018) by Marionetas.
*Teatro Grattacielo/Camerata Bardi Vocal Academy Young Artist.
Dimitris Vezyroglou | Piano
Dimitris Vezyroglou was born in Athens, in 1972. He studied piano in Athens Conservatory with Maria Cherogiorgou-Sigara, where he received his diploma with Α and second prize unanimously. He continued his studies with scholarship from The Academy of Athens, where he received his piano diploma and second prize unanimously and his postgraduate studies in the Russian Public Conservatory “P.I. Tchaikovsky” of Moscow, again with scholarship from ΙΚY State Scholarship of Greece and Onasis Foundation, where he gained the title of “Doctor of Musical Arts”. He has taken part in global piano competitions and appeared repeatedly in music recitals, chamber music concerts and as a concert soloist with Greece’s largest orchestras and musical organizations. He has taught Music History in the State School of Orchestral Art. From 2003, he teaches piano lessons in Athens Conservatory. At the same time, he has taken on the place of music co-repetition for the Melodrama School of Athens Conservatory and Philippos Nakas Conservatory.
OFFICIAL AIR CARRIER SPONSOR: AEGEAN | A Star Alliance Member
OFFICIAL HOSTING SPONSOR: Metaxa Hospitality Group
Sponsor: Camerata Bardi