Monterey Symphony Opens The Holiday Season With An Opera For The Whole Family, Amahl And The Night Visitors

Save the Date! The 68th season of the Monterey Symphony season opener will be on November 21, 23rd and 24th. End Quote

Salinas, CA (1888PressRelease) November 11, 2013 - The 68th season of the Monterey Symphony offers rich concert programs filled with exploration, musical encounters and treasures that emerge across the canvas of the stages at Steinbeck Institute for Arts and Culture at Sherwood Hall in Salinas and Sunset Center in Carmel-by-the-Sea. Music Director & Conductor Max Bragado-Darman invites you to join the Monterey Symphony with your 2013-'14 Passport to musical discovery! Enjoy Seasons, a celebration of the holidays, with the family favorite operetta, Amahl and the Night Visitors and a sonic tour of Vivaldi's The Four Seasons November 21st, 23rd and 24th!

Amahl and the Night Visitors, The Monterey Symphony's first fully-staged opera to be conducted by Music Director Max Bragado-Darman, tells the heart warming story of the three Magi, enroute to Bethlehem, who visit a young boy whose gift will change them all forever! This one-act opera was the first opera written originally for television audiences in the United States.

Broadcast on NBC for years following its premiere in 1951, the opera fast became a favorite holiday story for millions of viewers. The Monterey Symphony is collaborating with artists and designers from throughout the Monterey and San Francisco bay areas to brings this heartwarming tale to life on stage.

On the same program, the orchestra's Concertmaster, Christina Mok, leads the orchestra in Vivaldi's perennial audience favorite, The Four Seasons. A musical account of the passage of time throughout the year, Vivaldi's baroque masterpiece brings the poetry of each season to life. While the artistry of Ms. Mok's performances is well known to Monterey Symphony audiences; her skill as soloist and director are showcased in this concert companion to Amahl and the Night Visitors.

"The beauty of this concert is its breadth of appeal. There is literally something for everyone, be it an exciting stage production for the holiday season, or music that is familiar and accessible to audiences young and old," commented Executive Director Edmund Feingold.

In addition to the public performances, Monterey Symphony will present Amahl and the Night Visitors to over 3,000 elementary school students on Thursday, November 21 at 9:30 and 11 am.

Seasons
• November 21*, 23, 24
• Performances in Salinas and Carmel
• A sonic tour of Vivaldi's The Four Seasons, led by concertmaster and soloist Christina Mok, precedes the arrival of a rare gem for the holiday season, a fully staged, one-act opera, Gian Carlo Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors. Don't miss this timeless and poignant family holiday event directed for the stage by Walt deFaria.
• Christina Mok, the Monterey Symphony's Concertmaster will be both soloist and director of the orchestra for Vivaldi's classic musical description of the four seasons.
• Amahl and the Night Visitors, as directed for the stage by Walt deFaria
Max Bragado-Darman conducts this one act opera, a timeless story of the three magi en route to Bethlehem, who weary after walking many miles, come upon a modest hut inhabited by a poor woman and her son, Amahl, a crippled boy. The magi relate to Amahl and his mother the reason for their journey: to visit a very special baby who will bring peace to the world. Intrigued, Amahl finds a way to provide a generous gift for the child that will change their lives forever.
• With outstanding performances by Michelle Rice and Angelique Zuluaga, this opera's heartwarming story and Christmastime appeal make Amahl an endearing holiday experience.

*Note: The performance at Sherwood Hall at the Steinbeck Institute for Arts and Culture in Salinas will be held on Thursday, November 21, which is a variation from our usual concert schedule.

• Christina Mok Biography http://www.montereysymphony.org/?attachment_id=981
• Michelle Rice Biography http://www.montereysymphony.org/?attachment_id=5516
• Angelique Zuluaga Biography http://www.montereysymphony.org/?attachment_id=5510
• Sponsored by National Endowment for the Arts, Art Council for Monterey County and S.T.A.R Foundation of Monterey County as well as individual donors Roberta and David Elliott

• Concert Program:
Antonio Vivaldi, The Four Seasons
Christina Mok, director/soloist

Gian Carlo Menotti, Amahl and the Night Visitors
- Max Bragado-Darman, Conductor and Music Director
- Directed for the Stage by Walt deFaria
- Michelle Rice, mezzo-soprano, as the Mother with Daniel Ostrom as Amahl (November 21 and November 24 performances)
- Angelique Zuluaga, soprano, as the Mother with Ethan Yan as Amahl (November 23 performance)
- J. Raymond Meyers, Tenor, as King Kaspar
- Peter Tuff, Baritone, as King Melchior
- James Grainger, Bass, as King Bathazar
- Tyler Anthony, Bass, as The Page
- Members of the Cabrillo Chorus, Directed by Cheryl Anderson
- Justin Kim and Isaiah Bouleware, understudies for Amahl
- Scenic design by Nicole Bryant Stephens
- Lighting design by Dennis Randolph
- Costumes by Ziona Goren

The Details:
• Thursday, November 21st at 7:30 p.m. ($20; all seats general admission) at Steinbeck Institute for Arts and Culture at Sherwood Hall, Salinas. NOTE: The performance at Sherwood Hall at the Steinbeck Institute for Arts and Culture in Salinas will be held on Thursday, November 21, which is a variation from our usual concert schedule.

• Saturday, November 23rd at 8 p.m. ($29-$79) and Sunday, November 24th at 3 p.m. ($29-$9 at Sunset Center, Carmel-by-the-Sea

• Pre-Concert Lecture Series: All concerts will feature a free pre-concert lecture one hour prior to the performance. These lectures, provided by Dr. Todd Samra, offer intriguing facts and historical context about the composers and the pieces to be performed, which greatly enhance the concert-going experience. To learn more about Dr. Samra, click here: http://www.montereysymphony.org/?attachment_id=3832

• Enjoy the best of harmony for your ears, and flavor for your palate, with the Monterey Symphony Supper Club! Enhance your journey by participating in this program hosted by four Carmel restaurants, including a delicious three-course meal complete with hand-selected wines. Restaurants include: Andre's Bouchee, Il Fornaio, Grasing's and Anton & Michel. To learn more or to make reservations, go to www.montereysymphony.org/special-events.

• Pre-concert performances by students of YOSal (Friday, November 21 and Sunday, November 24)

• To make a reservation call 831-646-8511 or go to http://www.montereysymphony.org/category/upcoming-season/ to request your Monterey Symphony Passport and Map of Discovery for a chance to win fabulous prizes throughout the season!

Contact Sato Terian at 831-646-8511 or ticketing ( @ ) montereysymphony dot org to purchase tickets or for more information regarding discounted group and military rates dot

The mission of the Monterey Symphony is to engage, educate and excite our community through the performance and continual discovery of symphonic music. The Monterey Symphony, under the artistic leadership of Music Director & Conductor Max Bragado-Darman, is the only fully professional, full-season orchestra serving the communities of the Monterey Bay, Salinas, Salinas Valley, Big Sur, and San Benito County. It provides triple performances of a six-concert subscription series at Carmel's Sunset Theater and Salinas's Performing Arts Center of the Steinbeck Institute of Art and Culture (formerly Sherwood Hall), as well as youth activities program, including visits to classrooms by musicians, culminating in full-orchestra concerts for schoolchildren.

The Monterey Symphony is a nonprofit, public benefit corporation, supported in part through the fundraising efforts of the Friends of the Monterey Symphony, and through grants from The James Irvine Foundation, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, The Harden Foundation, The Robert and Virginia Stanton Fund at the Community Foundation for Monterey County, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, The Monterey Peninsula Foundation, The National Endowment for the Arts, The Arts Council, The STAR Foundation, The Hind Foundation, Upjohn California Fund, and many other generous foundations and individual donors.

For additional information, please call 831-646-8511 or visit our web site: www.montereysymphony.org.

Contact: Michelle Lange, Director of Patron Engagement
831-645-1131 or mlange ( @ ) montereysymphony dot org

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