Stambaugh Auditorium Presents George & Ira Gershwin’s
Porgy & Bess
Friday, March 9, 2018 | 7:30 pm
Concert Hall | Stambaugh Auditorium
Produced by OPERA Western Reserve in association with The Warren Philmharmonic Orchestra, and presented by Stambaugh Auditorium, George & Ira Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess follows the tragic love story and unlikely friendship of crippled beggar Porgy and beautiful Bess. Longing change from her wretched past, she is faced with judgement and temptation while finding happiness in Catfish Row. That is until a hurricane and the return of Crown change life as everyone knows it.
Jonathan Stuckey, Bass – Porgy
With a “smooth deep voice” (Thomas Dyer, Berkshire Fine Arts), Jonathan Stuckey acts and sings “with masterful deep timbre” (Robert Rollin, Cleveland Classical). His repertoire includes roles in Verdi’s Macbeth, Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor, and more. He has performed with Resonance Works – Pittsburgh, Opera Western Reserve, and Cleveland Opera Theater, among others.
Rhea Olivaccé, Soprano – Bess
Soprano Rhea Olivaccé is known for her wonderfully warm lyric soprano voice. Ms. Olivanccé made her main-stage debut in 2016 with Opera Western Reserve in the title role of Bizet’s Carmen, bringing her role to life, “with exceptional singing and fine acting.” (Cleveland Classical). Her operatic repertoire includes Mimi and Musetta from Puccini’s La Bohème, Contessa from Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, and more .Ms. Olivaccé’s work as a concert and recital soloist has been widely recognized and in June 2008, she made her international debut in recital at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Rhea Olivaccé is an alum of the AIMS program in Graz, Austria, where she was a finalist in the Meistersinger Competition in 2016. Ms. Olivaccé received a Bachelor of Music degree from Florida international University and Master of Music and Doctorate of Musical Arts degrees from University of Michigan and is currently an Assistant Professor of Voice at Western Michigan University.
Brian Keith Johnson, Baritone – Crown
Brian Keith Johnson has performed may role sin opera from Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia to Ford in Falstaff. As a member of Actors’ Equity Association, he has also performed a variety of musical theater roles ranging from Jim in Big River to Father/God in Children of Eden. His concert repertoire includes most of the major baritone works such as Carmina Burana, Elijah, The Verdi Requiem, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, The Brahms Requiem, and The Faure Requiem. He has performed operatic and musical theater roles across the United States, including performances with the Cleveland Orchestra, Akron Symphony Orchestra, Canton Symphony Orchestra, and Porthouse Theatre. Mr. Johnson received his Bachelor’s Degree from The University of Akron and has also studied abroad at The New Opera Academy of Rome in Rome, Italy, and The American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria.
Matthew Jones, Tenor – Sportin’ Life
As a tenor soloist, Matthew Jones has been featured in Handel’s Messiah, Gounod’s Messe solennelle de Saint-Cécile, Mozart’s Requiem in D Minor, Bach’s Magnificat, and Beethoven’s Symphony no. 9. He has performed such operatic roles as Sam Kaplan in Weil’s Street Scene, Detlef in Romberg’s The Student Prince, Don Ottavio in Mozart’s Don Giovanni, and Turiddu in Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana. Matthew has appeared throughout Northeast Ohio with such organizations as The Cleveland Opera, CityMusic Cleveland, Great Lakes Light Opera, Cleveland Chamber Choir, Duffy Liturgical Arts, Cleveland Messiah Chorus, Stow Symphony Orchestra, Trinity Chamber Orchestra, and Cleveland Public Theatre.
Matthew has pursued studies in music education at Cleveland State University, and anticipates graduating with a M.M. in voice performance in 2018. Aside from teaching in the Cleveland area, Matthew also sings with the Cleveland Chamber Choir, Trinity Chamber Singers, and Cathedral Choir at Trinity Cathedral in Cleveland. Matthew will make his 2018 debut with Opera Western Reserve singing the role of Sportin’ Life in The Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess.
Charlene Canty, Soprano – Serena
Soprano Charlene Canty has been acclaimed for her “powerful and luminous voice” and “beautiful tone.” Ms. Canty is an accomplished classical singer who has performed major roles in Don Giovanni, Norma, Porgy & Bess, Le Nozze di Figaro, and La Bohème.
Amber Monroe, Soprano – Clara
Eric McKeever, Baritone – Jake
Baritone Eric McKeever has been praised for his voice of “power and brilliance” (Chicago Tribune) and “considerable flexibility and a communicative presence” (Opera News). Recent highlights include Marcello in La Bohème with Opera Columbus, Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia with Opera Naples, Frank in Die Fledermaus with Nashville Opera and Baltimore Concert Opera and his New York City Opera debut as a Westphalian Soldier in Candide.
Mazhorell Johnson, Soprano – Mariah
Arielle Green – Annie
Arielle T. Green is a native of Youngstown, Ohio and a 2016 graduate of Anderson University with a Bachelor of Arts in Music. Miss Green began performing on the national stage under the direction of Dr. Carol L. Baird and The Youngstown Connection, and has opened for internationally known jazz artists Kim Waters, Paul Taylor, and Marion Meadows. Green also served as a soloist with the Anderson (IN) Symphony Orchestra, and as a background vocalist for the Souther Gospel artists, The Gaither Vocal Band. This is Miss Green’s debut with Opera Western Reserve.