ABOUT THE EVENT

Daniel Catán, composer
Marcela Fuentes-Berain, librettist
David Neely, conductor
Corinne Hayes, director

Journey down the Amazon River aboard the steamboat El Dorado in Daniel Catán’s opera that explores themes of longing, self-discovery and the connection between art and the natural world. Inspired by the magical realism found in the works of Gabriel Garcia Márquez, Florencia en el Amazonas follows the story of Florencia Grimaldi, a famous soprano returning home to sing at the opera house in Manaus with hopes that the performance will attract her love Cristóbal, a butterfly hunter who has gone missing in the jungle. 

Aboard the El Dorado are several passengers traveling to watch Florencia’s performance: a squabbling couple, the captain, his nephew and Rosalba, a journalist planning to write a book about Florencia. Despite their proximity, the passengers are unaware of Florencia’s identity. As the journey continues, the lives of the passengers become increasingly intertwined, forcing them to confront their fears and desires.

Join the Maryland Opera Studio on this magical boat ride that celebrates the transformative power of art and the resilience of the human spirit in their spring production of Daniel Catán’s Florencia en el Amazonas.

ABOUT THE MARYLAND OPERA STUDIO

Under interim director Corinne Hayes, the Maryland Opera Studio is dedicated to the future of opera. Preparing the next generation of great singers and offering performances ranging from classic repertoire to provocative new works, it is building contemporary audiences for opera and advancing the art form to sustain those audiences.