Thom King
as Rigoletto
Nov. 2005

Claudia Crause
as Gilda
In Rigoletto,
Nov. 2005

Trinity On Main-
-Our Home

Children at
school concert,
January 2006

Carlos Boltes
and his
charangos

In performance
January 2006

At school
May 2006

Before NY perf.
May 2006

In Performance,
Kosciusko
Foundation
NY, May 2006

New London
"Opera House"

Adrian Sylveen
Jan. 2006

for the list of school concerts click here

Rigoletto
by Giuseppe Verdi
Friday, Nov. 18, 8 PM, First Church of Christ, New London
Friday, Nov. 25, 8 PM, Trinity On Main, New Britain
Performers:

Conductor: Adrian Mackiewicz
Director: Thom King
Producer: John Waller
Rigoletto: Thom King
Duke of Mantua : Michael Lee
Gilda: Claudia Crouse
Sparafucile: Laurentiu Rotaru
Maddelena: Leandra Ramm
Marullo: James Shaffran

The Coloratura Soprano Claudia Crouse was featured in several operas: Queen of the Night (Die Zauberflöte) Lyric Opera of NY; Zerbinetta (Ariadne auf Naxos), Micaëla (Carmen), NY Opera Forum; Norina (Don Pasquale) New England Conservatory, MA. Concert Solo: The Messiah, Oratorio Society of Queens, NY, Gonzaga University, WA; Brahms and Mozart Requiems; Gonzaga University, WA; Nordöstlichen Sängerbund National Sängerfest, Delaware; New York Cantata Singers. Music theater: Mabel (The Pirates of Penzance), Grace Farrell (Annie), Rapunzel (Into the Woods) Bigfork Summer Playhouse, MT; Mrs. Nordstrom (A Little Night Music) Opera in the Ozarks, AR; The Illustrious Virginia City Players, dinner theater, MT. She returns to the CLO after performing Gilda in the 2006 production of Rigoletto by Verdi.

Bass-baritone Thom King has sung every low male role in Il Barbiere di Siviglia during his distinguished career, touring with Texas Opera Theatre, Miami Opera Theatre, Connecticut Opera, and performing with many others. Mr. King has performed many of the leading baritone roles, including the title roles in Don Pasquale, Nabucco, Le Nozze di Figaro and The Mikado, as well as Scarpia (Tosca), Guglielmo (Cosi fan Tutte), Escamillo (Carmen), Germont (La Traviata) and Marcello (La Boheme).

Baritone James Shaffran has performed with nearly every opera and choral organization in the Washington-Baltimore area. He performs regularly with the Washington National Opera. In 2002, he toured Japan with Washington Opera, singing roles in Otello and Sly.  Mr. Shaffran is a soloist on the National Symphony Orchestra's Grammy Award-winning recording of Corigliano's Of Rage and Remembrance.  He will appear as Montano in WNO’s Trilogy later this season.

Review By LEE HOWARD - Published on 11/20/2005 - The New London Day

Annual Christmas Concert
Sunday, December 18 • 3 pm,

Central Connecticut State University
Traditional Performance by the Connecticut Virtuosi, guests soloists, and Choirs, including Sing Along (English and Polish Carols)
Concert Program:
W.A. Mozart - Eine Kleine Nacht Musik
J. S. Bach - Air from suite in D-major (on G String)
Vincenty Baluta - Pastoral Mass based on tunes of Polish Carols
(Orchestration by A. Mackiewicz)
Christmas Carols:
Silent Night (Cicha Noc)
Joy to the World
Wsrod Nocnej Ciszy
Bracia Patrzcie Jeno
Lulajze Jezuniu
Performers:
Patricia Tzetzo, soprano
Laurentiu Rotaru, bass

John Paul II choir of young Hearts
Renata Krzyszczyk Kwasnik, Artistic Director
Members of the New Britain Chorale
Members of the St. Paul Church Chorale
Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra
Adrian Mackiewicz, Artistic Director

Alturas Duo - Strings Experimental
Friday, Jan. 20, 8 PM, Trinity On Main, New Britain, CT

Friday, Jan. 22, 6 PM, First Church of Christ, New London. CT
Carlos Boltes, charango
Scott Hill, guitar
with
Gonzalo Cortez, pan flute
Adrian Sylveen Mackiewicz, violin
Guitar and charango players join the classical orchestra for the performance of Vivaldi and Chilean composer Horacio Salinas

Concert Program:

Horacio Salinas: Danzas Peregrinas
Vivaldi: The Four Seasons

Haydn: Symphony No. 70

About Performers:

Hailed as playing with "...marvelous virtuosity..." by the Washington Post, the Alturas Duo is being recognized as one of the most entertaining ensembles in the chamber music world today. Formed with the idea of performing South American and classical music by using the viola, charango, and guitar, these musicians create dynamic programs that move at ease between J.S. Bach, South American folk rhythms and new music commissioned by the duo.

Carlos Boltes, born to Catalan immigrants in Santiago, Chile, began his first studies in music by learning the charango at an early age with his brother Giovanni Vacani. As a member of the Chilean group Barrocco Andino, he mastered the charango, the cuatro and the mandolin, while touring extensively throughout South America. Among his achievements, he has held the position of principal violist with the Orquesta de Cámara del Teatro Municipal de Santiago and presently with the Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra. In addition, he has recorded for MODE and CBS Records. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in viola performance from the Pontificia Universidad de Chile, and a Master's Degree in performance from Carnegie Mellon University. His main teachers have been Enrique López, Atar Arad, Larry Dutton (Emerson String Quartet) and Steve Larson (Adaskin String Trio). Currently, Mr. Boltes is on the faculty at the Hartt School Community Division of the University of Hartford, Connecticut.

Scott Hill, a native of Thunder Bay in Ontario, Canada, earned an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in music from Lakehead University with Sean Mundy and a Master's Degree in performance from the Hartt School, where he studied under Richard Provost. Mr. Hill has performed throughout Canada and New England as both a soloist and chamber musician and has collaborated with many diverse instrumentalists including flutist Mytrle Thomas, and the Adaskin String Trio. In addition, he has performed in master classes for some of today's finest musicians, including Oscar Ghiglia, Antigoni Goni, the Miami String Quartet and Roland Dyens. Currently, Mr. Hill is faculty at the Hartt School Community Division of the University of Hartford, Connecticut.

(http://www.alturasduo.com)

J. S. Bach - Cantatas

Friday, February 10 • 8 pm, Union Baptist Church, Mystic CT (Address & Dir.)

Sat., February 11 • 5 pm, St. Paul Church, Kensington, CT (Address & Dir.)

Jurate Sedeite - Soprano

Laurentiu Rotaru - Bass

Concert Program:

J.S. Bach:

Coffee Cantata No. 211 (more info.)

Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht

(Be quiet, stop chattering!)

Peasant Cantata No. 212 (more info.)
Mer hahn en neue Oberkeet
(We have a new squire)

and more

About Performers:

Soprano Jurate Švedaite is the grand-daughter of one of Lithuania's most revered traditional composers and arrangers, Jonas Švedas, and received her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Opera and Vocal Performance from the Lithuanian Music Academy while also attending the Detmold Music Academy in Germany. Ms. Švedaite has performed throughout Europe and the U.S. with the Lithuanian National Chamber Orchestra, the European Baroque Festival Opera, Kaunas Chamber Orchestra, Vilnius University Chamber Orchestra, Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, the Lithuanian National Ensemble "Lietuva," and Salt Marsh Opera, among others. Her opera roles include Marguerite in Faust, Adina in l'Elisir d'Amore, Tatyana in Eugene Onegin, Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors, Speranza in Orfeo, as well as Micaela in CLO's Carmen and Rosina in CLO's Il Barbiere di Siviglia. Ms. Švedaite now resides in Southeastern Connecticut.

Bass-baritone Laurentiu Rotaru is a native of Romania currently residing in Hartford and attending University of Connecticut at Storrs, where he is majoring in music performance. His credits with CLO include Zuniga in Carmen and Bartolo in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, and has also performed Il Comandatore in Don Giovanni, as Mr. Jenks in the opera The Tender Land, and as Dr. Grenvil in the La Traviata. He has toured USA and Canada, performing as a soloist of a choir composed of students and graduates of the Theological Institute of Bucharest. He started his intensive music training at The Conservatory of Bucharest - Romania and he performed for one year at The National Opera of Bucharest. He also was a soloist of the "Divine Harmony" choir of Bucharest, touring Romania, Greece, and Italy. He took the Second Prize at The National Association of Teachers of Singing (Connecticut Chapter) competition.

Annual Concert with the New Britain Chorale
Sunday, March 26 • time 4 PM, Church of Christ Congregational
1075 Main St., Newington, CT

Saturday, April 1• 7 PM, First Lutheran Church of the Reformation
77 Franklin Sq., New Britain, CT

Program:
Mozart: Missa Brevis in B-flat
Vivaldi: Magnificat
Soloists:
Jurate Svedeite Waller - Soprano
Delcinea Lutes - alto
Matthew Plank - tenor
Laurentiu Rotaru - bass

An annual performance of this accomplished
 ecumenical choral group is one of the most
important musical events in New Britain.

Don Giovanni
by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Friday, April 28 • 8 PM, First Congregational Church, New London, CT
Sunday, April 30 • 6 PM, Trinity On Main, New Britain, CT
Perfromers:

Conductor: Adrian Mackiewicz

Producer: John Waller

Stage Director: Adrian Mackiewicz

Chorus Master: John Dreslin

Don Giovanni: Douglin Smith

Leporello: Laurentiu Rotaru

Donna Elvira: Lindita Lole

Donna Anna: Jurate Svedeite-Waller

Zerlina: Valerie Nicolosi

Don Ottavio: Sean Fallen

Masetto: Daniel Kamalic

Nathan Resika: Commendatore

Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra

Connecticut Lyric Opera Chorus

Brought to the stage in a traditional production directed and conducted by CLO’s Artistic Director, Maestro Adrian Mackiewicz, Don Giovanni will be performed in Italian with English supertitles and features the Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, period costumes, elaborate staging, and chorus. Starring dynamic baritone Douglin Schmidt as the notorious seducer, the cast also includes soprano Jurate Svedaite-Waller as the vengeance-seeking Donna Anna, bass-baritone Laurentiu Rotaru as the Don’s wise-cracking man servant, Leporello, and a supporting cast of strong professionals and talented local performers.  

DOUGLIN SCHMIDT (Don Giovanni): Baritone Douglin Murray most recently sang the role of Alidoro in La Cenerentola for Lyric Opera of San Diego. For the San Diego company, he has also performed the roles of Mr. Peachum in Britten’s Beggar’s Opera, The Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance, Dick Deadeye in H.M.S. Pinafore, Giuseppe in The Gondoliers and Maximilian in Candide. In the summer of 2005, Douglin Murray made his debut as Rigoletto for the Belleayre Music Festival in upstate New York. For South Florida Opera Company he sang Guglielmo in Cosi fan tutte and for Wichita Grand Opera Escamillo and Morales in Carmen. In Kansas City, Schmidt has performed as Pooh Bah in The Mikado, Il Conte in Il matrimonio segreto (Civic Opera of KC), Marcello in La Boheme, Frank in Edgar and Scarpia in Tosca (KC Puccini Festival). His other Midwest roles have included Germont in La Traviata, Peter in Hansel and Gretel, Michele in Il Tabarro and Schaunard in La Boheme.
LINDITA LOLE (Donna Elvira): Soprano Lindita Lole has performed in Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Finland, Albania, Greece, and the United States. Her debut was as SUZANNA, from Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro” with the Albanian National Opera. Later performances included: her role as MICHAELA, from Bizet’s “Carmen” and other roles from Albanian composers; FIORDILIGI in “Cosi Fan Tutte”, PAMINA and FIRST LADY in “The Magic Flute”, COUNTESS in “Le Nozze di Figaro”, by Mozart, with the Greek National Opera; FIRST LADY in the opera “Momo”, at the Megaro Musicis, in Athens, Greece, role of MIMI, from Pucini’s, “La Boheme”, with Merrick Symphony Orchestra. Lindita also performed with Mannes College of Music the roles of IOLANTHE from Tschaikowsky’s “Iolanthe”; MAGDA from Puccini’s “La Rondine”; NEDDA from Leoncavallo’s “Pagliacci”, and SECOND LADY from Mozart’s “The Magic Flute”.
JURATE SVEDAITE-WALLER (Donna Anna): Soprano Jurate Švedaite-Waller has performed throughout Europe and the U.S. with the Lithuanian National Chamber Orchestra, the European Baroque Festival Opera, Kaunas Chamber Orchestra, Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, the Lithuanian National Ensemble "Lietuva," and Mystic River Chorale, among others. Her opera credits include Marguerite in Faust, Adina in l'Elisir d'Amore, Tatyana in Eugene Onegin and Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors, as well as Micaela in Carmen, Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Valencienne in The Merry Widow in CLO productions. Ms. Švedaite holds a Masters and Bachelors in Music from the Lithuanian Music Academy and now resides in SE Connecticut where she teaches voice at Connecticut College and Thames Valley Music School.
SEAN FALLEN (Don Ottavio): Lyric Tenor Sean Fallen has made his home equally in the high lyric operatic and oratorio repertory. He recently made his New York City Opera debut as 2nd Nazarene (Salome), and was engaged in five other productions at NYCO including Verdi's Rigoletto, Handel's Flavio, Puccini's Il Tabarro, and Chabrier's L'Etoile. His European debut as Borsa (Rigoletto) was with Festival Lyrique en Belle Ile en Mer. Again with NYCO, he sang Narciso in Harold Blumenfeld’s Borgia Infami with the NYCO Showcase concert. Operatically, Sean has sung numerous roles,. In this recent season his performances included Pong (Turandot) with Fresno Grand Opera, singing this role previously with Minnesota Opera, Count Almaviva (Il Barbiere di Siviglia) at New Jersey State Opera with Alfredo Silipigni, other performances of the Count include the Connecticut Lyric Opera, the Athena Grand Opera, Minnesota Opera, (touring prod.), and Opera in the Ozarks, AR.
LAURENTIU ROTARU (Leporello): CLO’s original Young Artist, bass-baritone Laurentiu Rotaru is a native of Romania currently residing in Hartford and attending UCONN School of Music for Opera and Vocal Performance. His credits with CLO include Mephistopheles in Faust, Sparafucile in Rigoletto, Zuniga in Carmen and Bartolo in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, and has also performed Il Comandatore in Don Giovanni, as Mr. Jenks in the opera The Tender Land, and as Dr. Grenvil in the La Traviata. He has toured USA and Canada, performing as a soloist of a choir composed of students and graduates of the Theological Institute of Bucharest. He started his intensive music training at The Conservatory of Bucharest, Romania and performed at the National Opera of Bucharest. He took the Second Prize at The National Association of Teachers of Singing (Connecticut Chapter) competition.
VALERIE NICOLOSI (Zerlina): Since receiving her Bachelor’s in Vocal Performance from the Eastman School of Music, Valerie Nicolosi has enjoyed a rising and dynamic operatic career around the country and the globe. In September 2002, Miss Nicolosi debuted in the title role of Rossini’s La Cenerentola with Opera Providence. A favorite for pants roles, she has sung the role of Cherubino in Le Nozze Di Figaro with Abilene Opera and Knoxville Opera, and Dayton Opera. Roles include Dorabella in Cosi Fan Tutte, Rosina in Barber of Seville, Hermia and Oberon in Midsummer Night’s Dream, Olga in Eugene Onegin. Suzuki in Madame Butterfly, Emilia in Othello, Stephano in Roméo et Juliette, Mercedes in Carmen, La Ciesca and Zita in Gianni Schicchi, Cupid in Orpheus and the Underworld and The Page in Salome.Miss Nicolosi is a Liederkranz Competition finalist and prize winner, and was awarded the Richard F. Gold Career Grant for Young Singers.
DANIEL KAMALIC (Masetto): Boston-based lyric baritone Daniel Kamalic is enjoying a promising career on the New England opera stage. Connecticut audiences may recognize him as King Melchior from Thames Valley Music Schools's 2003 and '04 productions of Amahl and the Night Visitors, or from ongoing performances as the Corporal in Boston Lyric Opera/Opera New England's tour of The Daughter of the Regiment. Described by critics as a "local favorite", Mr. Kamalic recently received critical acclaim for his portrayals of Gilbert and Sullivan's comic baritones in Raylynmor Opera's Ruddigore, and his Captain Corcoran in The Palace Theatre's H.M.S. Pinafore ("arguably the best actor in the cast"). He created the role of Young Baritone in New England Light Opera's "The (in)Compleat Works of Gilbert and Sullivan", for which he received a Theater Mirror Addison Award. Other recent appearances include with Granite State Opera: Marullo in Rigoletto, Speaker/First Priest/Armored Man in The Magic Flute, Dupoirier in Thomas Oboe Lee's Oscar Wilde (workship premiere).
NATHAN RESIKA (Commendatore) – LYRIC BASSO Nathan Resika has performed in are Alice Tully Hall, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, New York University, the Provincetown art association, and Budapest’s famed Merlin Theater. Mr. Resika’s roles include both Masetto and the Commendatore in Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Sparafucile and Monterone in Verdi’s Rigoletto, Dr.Bartolo in Mozart’s Figaro, Publio in Mozart’s Tito, Colline in Puccini’s La Boheme, Ramfis in Verdi’s Aida, and Superintendent Budd in Britten’s Albert Herring.Mr. Resika was featured as the Marchese in the March, 2006 NPR broadcast of Opera Company of Brooklyn’s La Traviata. He has performed roles with, among others, the Center for Contemporary Opera, The Bronx Opera, Cantiamo Opera, New Jersey Opera Theater, Amato Opera, the Bellayre Music Festival, and has recently been engaged as an artist in residence for summer, 2006 at the Utah Festival Opera.Also a world class chess master ranked among the top 300 in the USA, Nathan teaches children in the NYC area.
In the Press:

05/01/2006 - ‘Don Giovanni’ a hit - By Jason Vallee , Herald Staff

Season Finale
F. Chopin & Others
Friday, May 19 • 8 pm Trinity On Main Cultural Center, New Britain, CT
Sunday, May 21 • 3 pm Kosciusko Foundation , 15 East 65 Street, New York
Concert Program:
Schubert: Rondo in A
Chopin: Preludes
Intermission
Chopin: Piano Concerto no. 1 Claire Huangci: piano
Veracini: "Quarto Pezzi"
About the Artist:
Claire Huangci
Born in Rochester, New York, 16 year old pianist Claire Huangci has already won numerous competitions at the local and international levels. As the first prize winner of competitions, she performed in Carnegie Hall in 1997, had a successful debut with Philadelphia Orchestra in 2003, and appeared as a soloist with a number of Orchestras, including Ocean City Pops in New Jersey, the New Artists Philharmonic in Colorado, West Chester, New York, and the World Festival Orchestra in Cincinnati….
Coming from a family of scientists, Claire received a grand piano as her 6th year birthday present. After exploring the instrument herself in the first year, she started her formal piano lessons at Settlement Music School of Philadelphia when she was 7. The same year, she was featured on the FOX news as a child prodigy with “the skills of a professional pianist”. Her performance has been featured on NPR radio WHYY in early 2006. She currently studies with Mrs. Eleanor Sokoloff and Mr. Gary Graffman at the Curtis Institute of Music under the Hirsig Foundation Fellowship.
 

2005-2006 School Concerts

Wed. January 18 9 AM • Lincoln Elem. school, New Britain
Wed. January 18 10:30 AM • Sacred Heart Elem. school, New Britain
Thu. January 19 9 AM • Jefferson  Elem. school, New Britain
Thu. January 19  10:30AM • Smalley Elem. school, New Britain
Wed. May 17 9 AM • Vance Elem. school, New Britain
Wed. May 17 10:30 AM • Smith Elem. school, New Britain
Thu. May 18 9 AM • DiLoreto Elem. school, New Britain
Thu. May 18 10:30AM • Holy Cross Elem. school, New Britain
Wed. May 31 9 AM • St. Paul Elem. School, Kensington