Il Trovatore

Soprano Guanqun Yu is a regular guest at international opera houses in Europe and America. Her commitments in the 2020/21 season include the new production Aida at the Frankfurt Opera, in which she will make her role debut in the title role, and a return to the Zurich Opera to sing Elettra in Mozart’s Idomeneo. (COVID cancellations included leading roles in Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Zurich and Los Angeles.)

In addition to the major Mozart roles such as Vitellia, Elettra, Contessa, Fiordiligi, Donna Anna and Donna Elvira, Guanqun Yu’s repertoire includes the Italian repertoire in particular. She has already sung Leonora (Il trovatore) at the Metropolitan Opera New York and at the Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Amelia (Simon Boccanegra) in Valencia, Hamburg and Frankfurt, Desdemona (Otello) at the Palau de les Arts Valencia, at the Deutsche Oper Berlin as well as at the Hamburg State Opera, Mimì (La Bohème) in a new production at the Zurich Opera House as well as at the Bavarian State Opera in Munich and Liù (Turandot) at the Metropolitan Opera, in Zurich, Cologne and at the Bregenz Festival.

She is also familiar with the French repertoire singing Micaëla (Carmen) and Mathilde (Guillaume Tell) – a role which brought her a great personal triumph in a new production at Hamburg State Opera.

Her numerous engagements also led her to the Deutsche Oper Berlin and the Semperoper Dresden. With Lucrezia in a concert performance of The Two Foscari, she celebrated her highly noticed debut at the Salzburg Festival in 2017 opposite Plácido Domingo.

Guanqun Yu has worked with conductors such as Zubin Mehta, James Levine, Michele Mariotti and Cornelius Meister. In 2010 she made her debut in Vienna in Honegger’s Jeanne d’Arc under the baton of Bertrand de Billy. Numerous concert commitments have taken Guanqun Yu to Scandinavia and Germany.

She is winner of the Belvedere singing competition and winner of the renowned Operalia competition. After studying in Shandong and Shanghai, she was a member of the opera studio at the Teatro Comunale di Bologna.

Her interpretation of Lina in Verdi’s Stiffelio was released on DVD in a production from Parma.

Rising dramatic tenor Limmie Pulliam has thrilled audiences with his captivating stage presence and his “stentorian, yet beautiful,” sound.

The 2017/18 season included several debuts beginning with the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra in Verdi’s Requiem, and his company debut with Springfield Regional Opera in the title role of Otello. He also made a much-anticipated return appearance with Vashon Opera where he was featured in a sold-out Limmie Pulliam & Friends concert.

The 2016/17 season saw his debuts as a guest artist with Arkansas’ Delta Symphony Orchestra and appearances as one of The 3 Holiday Tenors with the New Jersey Festival Orchestra. His season also included an acclaimed role and house debut as Canio in Pagliacci with Vashon Opera. He appeared as a special guest at the National Opera Association’s 2016 convention in Indianapolis to honor their Lifetime Achievement Award recipient and 2015 National Medal of Arts honoree, legendary tenor George Shirley. The highlight of his season was his festival debut with the Phoenicia International Festival of the Voice in his first foray as the title character in Otello.

Mr. Pulliam’s other recent engagements include performances with the Concord Chorale as tenor soloist in Mozart’s Requiem and the tenor soloist in Stainer’s Resurrection with New Covenant United Methodist Church in The Villages, Florida. Mr. Pulliam has been featured in numerous appearances with the internationally renowned chorale Gloriae Dei Cantores, as tenor soloist (Ahab/Obadiah) in an original language presentation of Mendelssohn’s Elijah as well as in concerts featuring Intimations of Immortality and For St. Cecilia by Gerald Finzi. He has also presented concerts featuring spirituals with the Concord Chorale. He appeared as the tenor soloist in Handel’s Messiah with the Forum Sinfonia Orchestra of Finland and soloist in Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass with the San Angelo Symphony. Mr. Pulliam was also a featured soloist on the American Spiritual Ensemble’s 2013 Winter Tour.

The Missouri native trained with the late renowned pedagogue Richard Miller. He is also a former participant in the young artist programs of Cleveland Opera, Opera Delaware and Opera Memphis. He was the 2012 Artist Division Winner of the National Opera Association’s Vocal Competition and, in 2013, was a winner in the 3rd Annual Concorso Internazionale di Canto della Fondazione Marcello Giordano in Catania, Sicily.

Learn more at LimmiePulliam.com.

Regarded as one of the most accomplished singers on the international opera stage today, the American tenor Gregory Kunde appears regularly at the most prestigious opera houses around the world. His appearances for the 2021/22 season include the title role of Otello at the Vienna State Opera.

Highlights in the 2019/20 season include the title role in Otello at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Calaf in Turandot at the Gran Teatre del Liceu and at the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, Jean de Leyden in Le Prophète at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, the title role in Don Carlos for Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège and Manrico in Il Trovatore at the Wiener Staatsoper. In concert, he will perform Verdi's Requiem with the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra and Alan Gilbert.

Recent highlights include Samson in Samson et Dalila at the Metropolitan Opera, title role in Otello for Opéra national de Paris and Opéra de Monte-Carlo, title role in Andrea Chénier and Radames in Aida at the Wiener Staatsoper, Calaf in Turandot at the Teatro Real, Madrid, Des Grieux in Manon Lescaut in concert for Dallas Opera, Don Alvaro in La forza del destino at the Semperoper Dresden, title role in Peter Grimes at the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia, Valencia, Radames in Aida at the Teatro Real, Madrid, and a return to the podium to conduct Il barbiere di Siviglia at the Teatro La Fenice.

On the concert platform, recent highlights include Verdi's Requiem and Calaf in Turandot with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Zubin Mehta, Das Lied von der Erde at the BBC Proms, Verdi's Requiem in Bilbao, the title role in Otello at the Cincinnati May Festival, title role in Peter Grimes with Sir Antonio Pappano at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia and Faust in La damnation de Faust in concert at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam with Charles Dutoit.

Acclaimed throughout his earlier career for his performances in French and Italian bel canto roles, Kunde has now established himself as a leading exponent of many of the Verdi roles and other such dramatic repertoire. Since his critically acclaimed debut as Verdi's Otello at La Fenice in 2012, he has performed this signature role in Valencia, Genoa, Salerno, Florence, Turin, Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Seoul, and São Paulo. Since moving into this repertoire, Kunde earned the unique distinction of being the only tenor in recorded history to perform both Rossini's Otello and Verdi's Otello in the same season (2014/15 and 2015/16).

Kunde’s discography includes his solo album Vincerò! (Universal Music Group), Il Trovatore at Royal Opera House London (Opus Arte DVD), Les Troyens at the Théâtre du Châtelet (Opus Arte DVD, Gramophone magazine’s ‘DVD of the Year’), Benvenuto Cellini (Virgin Classics CD, Gramophone’s ‘Opera Recording of the Year’), Benvenuto Cellini with Sir Colin Davis (LSO Live CD), and Verdi's Otello from the Palazzo Ducale in Venice (Unitel DVD).

Learn more at GregoryKunde.com.

Hailed by the New York Times as a "striking mezzo soprano" and by the San Francisco Chronicle for her "electrifying sense of fearlessness," she will make her La Scala debut in 2022 as Ulrica in Un Ballo in Maschera. Other upcoming engagements, in addition to her return to Los Angeles as Azucena in Il Trovatore, include Azucena at the Glimmerglass Festival and a role and house debut as Joan of Arc in Tchaikovsky's Maid of Orleans with Theater St. Gallen. 

In the 2019/20 season she returned to Opera Vlaanderen for her role debut as Eboli in Don Carlos. She also made her first LA Opera appearances in the world premiere of Eurydice and as Sara in Roberto Devereux. Other engagements for the season included joining conductor Kent Nagano and the Montreal Symphony for Verdi’s Requiem, sings Nathaniel Dett’s The Ordering of Moses for the centennial of the Harlem Renaissance at Carnegie Hall, Mendelssohn's Elijah with St. George’s Choral Society, Moravec’s Sanctuary Road with the Chautauqua Symphony, and a recital series with pianist Mark Markham.

Last season she made her role debut as Leonor in La Favorite at the Teatro Massimo di Palermo, Marguerite in La Damnation de Faust with John Nelson and the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Costa Rica, Mrs. Alexander in Satyagraha at Opera Vlaanderen, the world premiere and tour of Unknown, I Live With You with the Airport Society, Kristina in The Makropulos Affair at the Janáček Brno Festival, Verdi's Requiem with the Oratorio Society of New York at Carnegie Hall, Martinů’s Julietta with the American Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, and Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 with the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra.

Ms. Bryce-Davis recently sang her first performances of Wellgunde in Die Ring-Trilogie with Theater an der Wien, and Madeline Mitchell in Three Decembers with Opera Maine. While a member of the ensemble of Opera Vlaanderen, Ms. Bryce-Davis sang Nezhata in Sadko, Kristina in The Makropolus Affair, and Mary in The Flying Dutchman. She was a recent participant in San Francisco Opera’s prestigious Merola Opera Program, where she sang Eboli in selections from Don Carlo and Santuzza from Cavalleria Rusticana. While a resident artist at Michigan Opera Theatre, she sang the Third Lady in The Magic Flute, Lady in Waiting in Macbeth, and Ma Moss in The Tender Land. Other recent performances include Mama McCourt in The Ballad of Baby Doe with Chautauqua Opera, Albine in Thaïs with Florida Grand Opera, Zita in Gianni Schicchi with Aspen Music Festival, Owl in Alice in Wonderland with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Lily in Porgy and Bess with both Grand Théâtre de Genève and Odyssud Blagnac, Abuela in En Mis Palabras with the Fall Festival of the Arts, and Begbick in Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny with Manhattan School of Music.

Praised by the New York Times for his “warm, attractive voice” and by Opera News for his “gorgeous legato sound and remarkable breath control”, Vladimir Stoyanov has gained international recognition as one of today's leading baritones. He has appeared with the Opéra de Paris, Vienna State Opera, Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Metropolitan Opera, Baden Baden Festival, Teatro Real de Madrid, Gran Teatre del Liceu de Barcelona, Bayerische Staatsoper of Munich, Deutsche Oper and Staatsoper Berlin, San Francisco Opera, New National Theatre Tokyo, Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, the Arena of Verona and many others.

His major roles include Rigoletto (Bregenz Festspiele, ROH Muscat, NCPA Beijing, Palau de les Arts Valencia, Maggio Musicale fiorentino Florence, Sofia Opera House, Terme di Caracalla Rome, Center of Performing Arts, Macerata Sferisterio, Teatro Comunale in Bologna), Iago in Otello (New National Theatre of Tokyo, Royal Opera of Stockholm, Arena di Verona-Philharmonic Theatre, Baden-Baden Festival with Berliner Philharmoniker), Macbeth (San Carlo in Naples, Festival Verdi in Parma, Berlin State Opera, Teatro Colon in Bogotà, ABAO Bilbao), Giorgio Germont in La Traviata (La Scala Milan, Vienna State Opera, San Carlo in Naples, Bavarian State Opera, Arena di Verona, Hamburg State Opera, San Francisco Opera, La Fenice in Venice), Rodrigo in Don Carlo (Verdi Festival Parma, Zurich Opera House, Bunka Kaikan Tokyo, Municipal de Sant Jago Chile, Macerata Sferisterio, ABAO Bilbao), Don Carlo di Vargas in La forza del destino (Paris Opèra, Israeli Opera Tel Aviv, Liceu de Barcelona), Renato in Un ballo in maschera (La Fenice Venice, Zurich Opera House, Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Teatro Regio Parma), Ezio in Attila (Hungarian State Opera Budapest, Festival Verdi Parma), Prince Yeletsky in The Queen of Spades (ROH in London, Metropolitan Opera, Dutch National Opera Amsterdam), Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor (Metropolitan Opera, Palau des les Artes of Valencia, Deutsche Opera of Berlin).

Vladimir Stoyanov was born in Pernik (Bulgaria). He studied singing at the Academy of Music of Sofia, and he later studied at the Academy Boris Christoff at Rome under the guidance of famous opera singer Nicola Ghiuselev, who was his mentor and source of inspiration in his youth years. Vladimir’s soft and extended baritone voice, and his natural talent for singing legato and drama accent, led him to the bel canto repertoire with particular attention to Verdi’s repertoire.

In 1998 he made his debut at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples (Italy) in the title role of Verdi’s Macbeth. This successful Italian debut quickly led to engagements at the major opera houses around the world.

Learn more at VladimirStoyanov.info.

Morris Robinson is considered one the most interesting and sought-after basses performing today.

Since his debut that year with La Traviata, he has conducted 62 different operas and more than 400 performances to date with the company. Most recently, he conducted the 2020 company premiere of The Anonymous Lover (L'Amant Anonyme) by Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, and the 2021 company premiere of Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex.

One of today’s most versatile and respected conductors, he has cultivated a vast symphonic, operatic and choral repertoire. He has conducted virtually every major American and European symphony orchestra since his debut with the New York Philharmonic in 1974. He has conducted more than 270 performances at the Metropolitan Opera. Through worldwide touring, an extensive discography and videography, numerous essays and commentaries, frequent television appearances and guest speaking engagements, Mr. Conlon is one of classical music’s most recognized interpreters.

In 2016, he became Principal Conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra of the RAI in Torino, and in September 2021 becomes Artistic Advisor of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.

He previously was Music Director of the Ravinia Festival, summer home of the Chicago Symphony (2005-2015), Principal Conductor of the Paris National Opera (1995-2004), General Music Director of the City of Cologne (1989-2002), Music Director of the Rotterdam Philharmonic (1983-91) and Music Director of the Cincinnati May Festival (1979-2016). He has won three Grammy Awards and was awarded France’s Légion d’Honneur.

Francisco Negrin is an award-winning stage director, based in Barcelona and working at major opera houses worldwide as well as in major events, film, popular music and other media.

He works primarily in opera but he has also created arena and stadium projects, museum openings, as well as other commercial events, including one of the largest shows ever, the opening of the 2017 AIMAG, with 6,000 performers, as well as two ice shows in the Arena di Verona and a one-kilometer-wide show at the Dubai World Cup. He has directed over 70 critically acclaimed productions in the leading opera houses around the globe, many of which have been televised and released on DVD. The Royal Opera House in London, Chicago Lyric Opera, the Liceu in Barcelona, Sydney Opera House, New York City Opera, the Dutch National Opera in Amsterdam or the Théâtre des Champs Elysées in Paris are only a few of the major companies where his work has been presented.

His work is distinguished by faithfulness to the text and music, refracted through a thoroughly modern but elegant sensibility that changes style to suit and enhance the piece rather than impose on it, and a strongly visual and kinetic approach often described by the press as "cinematic". He is admired by singers and conductors alike as a director who deeply understands the musical aspects of the piece and collaborates with the musicians to achieve better dramaturgy. His work has especially had an impact on changing audiences' perception of "difficult" or unknown pieces. He has a special liking for directing site-­specific events and using dance and other media in truly telling ways.

Francisco Negrin has won several awards for his work and his London production of Handel's Orlando was nominated for two Laurence Olivier awards.

Learn more at Negrin.com.

Director, scenery designer and costume designer Louis Désiré was born in 1956 into a family of musicians. He has participated in numerous opera productions in Europe, North America and Asia, including work for the Paris National Opera, Royal Theater of La Monnaie in Brussels, Amsterdam Opera, Royal Theater in Copenhagen, Teatro de la Maestranza in Seville, Festival of Santander, Festival of Perelada, Liceo de Barcelona, ​​Palau de les Arts de Valencia, Leipzig Opera, Megaron of Athens and Tessaloniki, Festival del Centro Historico de Mexico, Teatro Colón de Buenos Aires, New York City Opera and more.

In September 2007, he made his debut at the Teatro Colòn in Buenos Aires designing the sets and costumes for Werther. Since then he has worked all over the world. In 2009-10 he was invited to the Santa Fe Opera for Alceste (set and costumes) and to the Teatro Colòn in Buenos Aires for The Two Foscari (stage direction, sets and costumes) . In 2010-11, the artist was invited to San Francisco for Werther (sets and costumes), Buenos Aires for Francesca da Rimini (staging, set and costumes), Monte-Carlo for Un ballo in maschera (staging and costumes), and Bilbao for Macbeth (sets and costumes). In 2011-12, he was in Beijing for La Cenerentola (costumes), in Monte Carlo for Francesca da Rimini (staging, set and costumes). In 2012/13 he designed the decor and costumes for Carmen in Seoul, Werther in Chicago and Il Trovatore in Macerata. In 2013/14, he created the staging, decor and costumes of La Cenerentola in Metz and The Flying Dutchman in Buenos Aires. He designed sets and costumes for Alcina in Oslo, directed La Bohème in Montevideo, and designed the sets and costumes of Mitridate in Drottningholm. In 2014/15 he was in Bilbao for Werther, Copenhagen for Alcina, Marseille for Tosca and the Chorégies d'Orange for Carmen.

His designs for leading opera houses include Rusalka (Sydney Opera House, Australian Green Room Award), The Marriage of Figaro, Carmen (English National Opera); Peter Pan (Welsh National Opera, Komische Oper Berlin); Mahagonny, Don Giovanni, Connectome, The Two Foscari, La Donna del Lago (Covent Garden); Carmen, Don Giovanni (Oslo); The Threepenny Opera, The Two Foscari, Béatrice et Bénédict (Theater an der Wien); Rinaldo (Chicago); I Puritani (Netherlands Opera, Grand Théâtre de Genève) and productions for Opera North and Garsington Opera. Theater work includes Frankenstein (Olivier and Knight of Illumination awards); Miss Saigon, From Here to Eternity (West End); and productions for the National Theatre, RSC, Old Vic, Royal Court and Barbican. He won a second Knight of Illumination Award for his design of Sigur Ros’ world tour and also designed their 2016 world tour.

His engagements for 2020 include Alcina with the Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Aida for Houston Grand Opera and Uncle Vanya in London's West End.

(BrunoPoet.co.uk)

He has additionally conducted LA Opera performances of Handel's L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato and Lee Holdridge's Dulce Rosa, as well as Madama Butterfly, Carmen, Florencia en el Amazonas, Gianni Schicchi, Wonderful Town, The Tales of Hoffmann, Tosca, The Pearl Fishers and Satyagraha.

Grant Gershon is hailed for his adventurous and bold artistic leadership and for eliciting technically precise and expressive performances from musicians. He has conducted Rigoletto, Tosca, La Bohème, La Traviata, Carmen and Madama Butterfly at Wolf Trap Opera with the National Symphony Orchestra; John Adams’ The Gospel According to the Other Mary at the San Francisco Symphony and Ravinia Festival; Vivaldi’s Griselda at Santa Fe Opera; and many concerts with the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

The 2019/20 season marks his 19th season as the Kiki & David Gindler Artistic Director of the Los Angeles Master Chorale. The Los Angeles Times has said the Master Chorale "has become the most exciting chorus in the country under Grant Gershon,” a reflection on both his programming and performances. During his tenure, he has led more than 200 Master Chorale performances at Walt Disney Concert Hall in programs encompassing choral music from the earliest writings and pillars of the repertoire through to contemporary compositions. He has led world premiere performances of major works by John Adams, Esa-Pekka Salonen, David Lang, Louis Andriessen, Christopher Rouse, Steve Reich, Morten Lauridsen, Ricky Ian Gordon, Gabriela Lena Frank, Shawn Kirchner, Ellen Reid, and Chinary Ung, among many others.