FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Sarah Snyder
ssnyder3@umd.edu
(301) 405-8151
November 5, 2012 – College Park, MD – The Maryland Opera Studio presents Mozart’s beloved opera Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), a mysterious fairy tale of good and evil, November 16 through 20 at the Clarice Smith Center. In this annual piano opera — a staged work with minimal costumes and sets — the voices of the Opera Studio’s talented young performers are put squarely in the spotlight.
Mozart’s final opera takes a profound yet lighthearted look at romantic love, spirituality and mortality as innocents Tamino and Pamina search for the truth in a confusing landscape full of serpents, spirits, sorcerers and priests. Die Zauberflöte sounds as fresh today as it did in 1791 and is the perfect introduction for the first-time operagoer.
The Essence of Opera
The Maryland Opera Studio’s fall production distills opera to its essential component: the singer. Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) will occur on an empty stage with simple muslin costumes and spare piano accompaniment. In this setting, the stage becomes a blank canvas for the singers to create a world and tell a story with their voices and their dramatic skills. With nothing to hide behind, the singers learn to rely solely on their craft and, as skills blossom, the audience experiences the very essence— and magic — of opera.
About The Maryland Opera Studio
The Maryland Opera Studio is both a degree program and a performance ensemble within UMD’s School of Music's Voice/Opera division. The Studio provides complete education and training of the opera singer in preparation for professional performance and includes work in all areas of vocal and theatrical training, movement and dance, operatic language study, and performance experience. Nick Olcott, who is directing this production, currently serves as the Studio’s Interim Director.
Tickets
More information can be found on our web site. Tickets for this performance are $25/$10 (Students/Youth), and can be purchased online or by calling (301) 405-ARTS (2787).
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The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center is supported by a grant from the Maryland State Arts Council, an agency dedicated to cultivating a vibrant cultural community where the arts thrive. An agency of the Department of Business & Economic Development, the MSAC provides financial support and technical assistance to nonprofit organizations, units of government, colleges and universities for arts activities. Funding for the Maryland State Arts Council is also provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. Learn more about the Clarice Smith Center's donor support.