Thanks so much to all those who made donations large and small last week to help us better our chances at earning $1,000 through our fiscal sponsor’s Spring Match Campaign. Unfortunately, we were not one of Fractured Atlas’s chosen winners, but THANKS TO YOUR GENEROSITY, WE ARE NOW TWO-THIRDS OF THE WAY TO OUR $6,000 goal for our online Suor Angelica campaign. If you didn’t give last week, please consider making a donation this week instead. As the start of the rehearsal process for this show is now just under a week away, your gift will help us to start production from a place of financial security, a gift that is so invaluable to our little collective of multi-tasking artists. Thank you so much again for supporting opera nouveau. Let’s keep this good energy going TOGETHER!
Our fiscal sponsor, Fractured Atlas, is distributing $1,000 to 20 different projects for their annual Spring Match campaign. Every donation made to Sotto Voce THIS WEEK ONLY – between Monday April 15 and Friday April 19, 2024 – gives us an extra chance to receive the $1k. Please consider making a donation of any amount to improve our odds, and be sure to share our fundraiser far and wide—every donation counts! Note also that Fractured Atlas is a non-profit arts service organization, and so contributions for the charitable purposes of Sotto Voce are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
When you donate this week, your gift will support our June 2024 production of Giacomo Puccini’s Suor Angelica. Check out a sneak preview of the show above, with Sotto Voce founding director Jessie Downs performing the famous aria, “Senza Mamma.” This video was directed and produced by Jessie’s co-director and partner Alex Huddleston with piano accompaniment by Sotto Voce Key Artist Jon Vogtle. Please check it out, like, comment, and subscribe! Anything you can do or give helps us so much! From all of us, thank you!
On our campaign page (linked above) you can also read more about this show and our “opera nouveau” take!
Did you miss our “opera nouveau” production of W.A. Mozart’s The Magic Flute this February? Did you attend the live shows but just have to see it again? You’re in luck! The full audio-video recording – including both the short films and live music – is now available on our YouTube channel! Please take a moment to check it out, give it a like and leave a comment, and subscribe to our page. Stay tuned also for more fabulous content as our production of Puccini’s Suor Angelica gets underway in the next few weeks.
We are thrilled to announce that our next production will be Giacomo Puccini’s stunning one-act opera Suor Angelica. Performances will be Friday June 28th at 7pm and Sunday June 30th at 3pm at St. Joseph University Parish in Buffalo NY.
This will be our first official opera production beyond the walls of the UU Church of Buffalo, and we are so honored to be able to present it at St. Joseph University Parish. Bringing this story to life in a space very near to its convent setting forwards our vision of creating unique productions that highlight the many beautiful historic space around Buffalo. St. Joseph was also host to another innovative local opera company – the legendary Opera Sacra, active from 1975 to 2015. We are thrilled to be taking up their torch with this show.
Suor Angelica is an ideal vehicle to highlight the vocal talents of our core team of artists, as well as an opportunity to welcome new artists into the Sotto Voce family. Our own Founding Director and President Jessie Downs (Pamina in The Magic Flute, Sashatya in her own The Second Sight) will be singing the title role – one that she has performed before and counts among her favorites. Our Queen of the Night Julia Anne Cordani (also Bird Spirit in The Second Sight) will be playing the role of the cheerful Suor Genovieffa. We are also very excited to welcome back Chicago-based mezzo-soprano Ola Rafalo (Diskana in The Second Sight) as the brooding Principessa. In a couple of weeks’ time, we will be holding auditions to determine the rest of our players. If you or someone you know may be interested in auditioning, see our OPPORTUNITIES page for more information.
While you will have to stay tuned for more details about our “opera nouveau” interpretation, know that we will be showcasing not only the beautiful St. Joseph sanctuary and Puccini’s stunning music, but also shining light on how this is truly a “tragedy for all times.” The opera centers around Suor Angelica – a woman who is forced into a convent after having a child out of wedlock. After waiting for seven years for some news from her family, it is revealed that her child has died, and she choses to take her own life in response. Not only is this a moving piece of fiction, but it is a true work of “verismo” or “operatic realism” that unveils the gruesome truth of how society throughout the ages attempts to erase those it sees as unnecessary persons. Despite the opera’s dark themes, its miraculous ending demonstrates the power of faith in redemptive love that can transcend humanity’s punitive institutions.
From all of us at Sotto Voce, we can’t wait to share another special show with you, and we can’t make it happen without your support. Thank you and stay tuned!
Priests Will Botsford, Phil Nicolai, Riley Nahlik, Brad Lessen, Ky VerHoef, and Leo Mitchell processing us into the start of filming for Sotto Voce’s The Magic Flute!
Tim Flynn (Sarastro) at the heart of his temple.
This past weekend, our production of W.A. Mozart’s The Magic Flute got off to a ceremonial start! After an impressive first rehearsal with our Three Spirits (Rosa Vu, Jamie Gangemi, and Erin Alexander) and Pamina (Jessie Downs), as well as a fun coaching with our Monostatos (Shaun Doyle), the entire cast gathered for a table read of Alex Huddleston’s adapted screenplay. Laughter abounded as we read through his fresh new take on a classic tale. The very next day, our fabulous director and crew filmed the opening scene of the second act – featuring our regal Sarastro (Tim Flynn) and his Priests (Leo Mitchell, Riley Nahlik, Brad Lessen, Phil Nicolai, Ky VerHoef, Alexander Chervyavsky, and Will Botsford) along with our angsty Tamino (Tyler Huk). This weekend, we are gearing up for more music rehearsals and filming. Stay tuned for more updates as this magical production continues to unfold!
Our cast and crew hard at work, filming more Priestly rituals. FAR LEFT: Josh Dissek – Stage Manager / CENTER: Alexander Chernyavsky – Priest, Alex Huddleston – Director/ FAR RIGHT: Zane Merritt -Assistant Film Director.
Sotto Voce now has a YouTube page! To see and hear what we’re up to, no matter where you are in the world, please like and subscribe to our channel.
Our first two videos are a preview of our upcoming February 2024 production of The Magic Flute…
And one of two original music videos by Alex Huddleston that were premiered at this fall’s re-launch event “Incantations.” Check them out and stay tuned for more releases in the coming weeks!
This past Friday 9/8/23, our new team of artists began rehearsing for our fall relaunch and gala event “Incantations”! Stay tuned here, as well as on our FaceBook and Instagram, for more “behind the scene” updates as this beautiful program comes together. You can also buy your tickets for the event on our Incantations eventbrite page.
Our “Incantations” Artist Team – from left: Rosa Vu (soprano), Jon Vogtle (piano), Beth White (mezzo-soprano), Jessie Downs (soprano/ director), Taryn Goehrig (soprano), Julia Anne Cordani (soprano/ director), Helen Lowry (mezzo-soprano), Brandon Mecklenburg (baritone), Tyler Huk (tenor).Helen and Beth rehearse “The claw of the magnolia” from Kaija Saariaho’s “From the Grammar of Dreams” with support from Jon, Julia, and Jessie. “Incantations” will feature pieces like this one – from Sotto Voce’s origins, as well as music from recent non-Sotto projects from our directors, and excerpts from Sotto projects on the horizon – including our February 2024 production of The Magic Flute.
Sotto Voce 