The passionate melody and lyrics of arias, duets, trios, and choruses by Mozart, Bizet, Puccini, Verdi, Masagni, and Wagner come to life when the South Bend Lyric Opera and Vesper Chorale join the Symphony for this dynamic performance.  

 

PROGRAM

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Alastair Willis, Music Director
South Bend Lyric Opera

 

Anya Matanovič, soprano
Emanuel Cristian-Caraman, tenor
Morgan Smith, baritone 

 

Vesper Chorale
Jeshua Franklin, director

 

Program to include arias, duets, trios and choruses from operas by Mozart, Bizet, Puccini, Verdi, Mascagni, and Wagner

 

About the South Bend Lyric Opera 

Over its initial four seasons, the South Bend Lyric Opera has garnered the esteem and patronage of a dedicated audience, thankful for the opportunity to witness both emerging and established talents grace intimate stages. This professional ensemble is committed to upholding the artistic integrity of opera, focusing not only on stellar performances but also on maximizing the potential of each performance space.

At its core, the South Bend Lyric Opera seeks to expand the reach of high-quality opera performances to the broadest audience possible within the South Bend community. Committed to a leadership role in the sphere of arts education and audience development, the opera is a beacon of creativity and innovation. By nurturing talents and fostering community engagement, the opera aims to perpetuate and enrich the vibrant and time-honored tradition of operatic excellence, inviting everyone to be part of this captivating journey.

 

Anya Matanovič, soprano

Anya Matanovič made her professional opera debut, directly from her undergraduate studies, as Mimì in the Los Angeles commercial engagement of Baz Luhrmann’s Tony Award-winning production of La bohème, and made her international opera debut as Musetta in Franco Zeffirelli’s production of La bohème with the New Israeli Opera. She has returned to Seattle Opera on numerous occasions since her time there as a young artist, including roles such as Gretel in Hansel and Gretel, Marzelline in Fidelio, Erste Dame in Die Zauberflöte and Nanetta in Falstaff. She has twice joined Santa Fe Opera as Wanda in a new production of Offenbach’s The Grand Duchess of Gerolstein and Papagena in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte. She made her debut with the Glimmerglass Festival as Micaëla in Carmen, under the baton of David Angus.

 

Emanuel-Cristian Caraman, Tenor

Throughout his career, Romanian tenor and recording artist Emanuel-Cristian Caraman has appeared with opera companies, symphony orchestras and on the recital stage in Europe, South America, and North America. He has performed on the stages of many prestigious concert halls, including Carnegie Hall in New York, Ateneul Român in Bucharest, and Wiener Konzerthaus in Vienna.

As of 2016, he is South Bend Lyric Opera’s general and artistic director in South Bend, Indiana. Caraman received his doctorate in music from National Music University in Bucharest, under Professor Dr. Grigore Constantinescu, with the thesis, American Vocal Music of the Twentieth-Century. Since 2018, Caraman has been the Visiting Assistant Professor of Music at Indiana University at South Bend.

 

Morgan Smith, Baritone

American baritone Morgan Smith is one of the most prolific performers of modern operatic repertoire in the world. Known for his riveting dramatic portrayals and the power and beauty of his voice, Smith has been entrusted to create 16 roles in world premieres, including Starbuck in Jake Heggie’s widely celebrated Moby-Dick. 

He has also earned universal praise for performances in the traditional repertoire, notably Scarpia (Tosca), Escamillo (Carmen), the title role of Don Giovanni, Sharpless (Madama Butterfly), Count Alamaviva (Le nozze di Figaro), Four Villains (Les contes d’Hoffmann), and the title role of Eugene Onegin. A graduate of Columbia College at Columbia University and Mannes College of Music in New York City, Morgan became a Seattle Opera young artist (1999-2000) and, in 2001 made his professional debut as Donald in Billy Budd.