Tickets $20. Pre-sale or at the door Doors open 6.30pm
Join composer-pianist Felix Jarrar at the Soapbox Gallery for a special program of his original music to celebrate Christmas and find meaning in the holiday season. Soprano Maria Eleni Zollo, mezzo-soprano Eugenia Forteza, and baritone Wayne Arthur Paul will perform alongside Jarrar. The program will feature the world premiere of Songs to Yuletide Season (featuring text settings of Thomas Hardy) and Betwixt Birth & Borders (featuring new text by acclaimed lyricist-librettist/director Bea Goodwin). Tickets for admission to the concert are $20.
Lineup:
Maria Eleni Zollo, soprano
Eugenia Forteza, mezzo-soprano
Wayne Arthur Paul, baritone
Felix Jarrar, pianist/composer/host
Program:
Felix Jarrar, pianist
Toccata and Fugue on a theme of Mozart for solo piano by Felix Jarrar (2013)
“Am I?” from Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’ the opera by Felix Jarrar and Bea Goodwin (2017)
Wayne Arthur Paul (Ebenezer Scrooge)
Songs to Yuletide Season by Felix Jarrar (featuring text settings by Thomas Hardy) (2019 - WORLD PREMIERE)
I. Yuletide in a Younger World
II. The Oxen
III. Christmas: 1924
Eugenia Forteza, mezzo-soprano
“Yellow” by Felix Jarrar (2019)
Maria Eleni Zollo, soprano
Schilflieder by Felix Jarrar (featuring text settings Nikolaus Lenau) (2013)
I. "Drüben geht die Sonnen scheiden"
II. "Trübe wird's, die Wolken jagen"
III. "Auf geheimem Waldespfade"
IV. "Sonnenuntergang"
V. "Auf dem Teich, Dem regungslosen"
Maria Eleni Zollo, soprano
-Intermission-
Betwixt Birth & Borders by Felix Jarrar and Bea Goodwin (2019 - WORLD PREMIERE)
I: Celestial Annunciation
II: Adoration of the Shepherds
III: Can’t make it to Bethlehem
Maria Eleni Zollo (Mary)
Eugenia Forteza (Gabriel)
Wayne Arthur Paul (Joseph)
“A Nocturne in Ulster County” from The Ulster County Songbook by Felix Jarrar (2019)
Wayne Arthur Paul, baritone
Eclipse by Felix Jarrar and Bea Goodwin (2019)
I. The witch [María Blanchard, self-portrait]
II. The saint [Our Lady of Guadalupe]
III. The dreamer [Juana Inés de la Cruz]
Eugenia Forteza, mezzo-soprano
“Bobbing for Apples” by Felix Jarrar and Bea Goodwin (2019)
Maria Eleni Zollo, soprano
“I will live” from Dicken’s ‘A Christmas Carol’ the opera by Felix Jarrar and Bea Goodwin (2017)
Wayne Arthur Paul - Ebenezer Scrooge
Felix Jarrar:
Felix Jarrar is a composer and pianist whose list of accomplishments includes performances at diverse venues such as Symphony Space, (le) Poisson Rouge, BAM's Fisher Hillman Studio and Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall. His works have been performed internationally by members of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, the Atlantic Music Festival Orchestra, and the duo Unassisted Fold. Last season, Jarrar workshopped his newly-commissioned ballet based on Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Red Shoes” for New York Deaf Theatre. He is currently the composer-in-residence for The Downtown Brooklyn Chamber Music Festival. Jarrar's fifth opera, Mother Goose, is scheduled to be premiered at Dixon Place’s Mainstage on November 21st, 2019. Jarrar completed his Bachelor of Arts from Marlboro College with Highest Honors in Music Composition and Piano Performance. He received his Masters of Music degree from Brooklyn College with the Graduate Dean’s Award in Music Composition on the Eleanor Kilcoyne, Cerf Music, and Chancey Memorial Scholarships while holding the prestigious graduate fellowship for assisting ConTempo, the contemporary ensemble in the conservatory.
Maria Eleni Zollo:
Maria Eleni Zollo is a vibrant, Greek American soprano, who brings authenticity and enthusiasm to everything she does. As an active recitalist, concert soloist and operatic performer, Maria Eleni has appeared with the Mannes Orchestra, the Brooklyn Metro Chamber Orchestra, Apotheosis Opera, the Mannes Opera, Martina Arroyo's Prelude to Performance, Hunter Opera, Savannah Voice Festival, and the Lidal North International Opera Workshop at the Oslo Opera House. She was also a sponsored recitalist with the New York City organization, Project 142. As well as performing standard repertoire, Maria Eleni has premiered the works of up and coming composers, including Felix Jarrar, Nathan Fletcher and Zachary Gulaboff Davis. Maria Eleni holds a B.M from Mannes School of Music and an M.A from CUNY Hunter College, where she won the university concerto competition in the spring of 2018. Maria Eleni has been the choir director and organist of Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Brooklyn, NY since 2013. She is very tied to her Greek American roots and was named Miss Peloponessos in the 2016 Miss Greek Independence Day Pageant. That same year, she was also awarded the esteemed Pan Hellenic Scholarship. In her spare time, she enjoys painting, reading, cooking and playing with her Bichon Frisé, Marius.
Eugenia Forteza:
French-Argentinean Mezzo-Soprano Eugenia Forteza has been praised for her “earthy vocal presence” (Opera Wire), "powerful voice" (Atuvu.ca) and “wonderful legato lines and impressive breath control” (Voce di Meche). Eugenia was a Finalist and Opera Role Prize Winner at the 2017 Concorso Internazionale di Canto Katia Ricciarelli in Cerisano, Italy, a finalist in the 2018 Vienna Summer Music Festival Vocal Competition, a Semi-Finalist in the 2018 Mary Trueman Vocal Art Song Competition and a Semi-Finalist in the 2018 Premiere Opera Foundation International Vocal Competition.
Eugenia holds a Master of Music from the Opera Institute at Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University and a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance, Summa Cum Laude, from the Boyer College of Music at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. She currently studies with soprano Elizabeth De Trejo in NYC.
Upcoming engagements in 2019/2020 include performing the role of Ugly Duckling in the World Premiere of Mother Goose by Felix Jarrar at Dixon Place in NYC, returning to the St. John’s Concert Series in Philadelphia, performing with organizations like Olympia Arts, Sing for Hope and Una Voz un Mundo in NYC and making her NY theatre debut in the play “Four Seasons” by Michael Seebold at Access Theatre.
Eugenia is based in NYC and is the founder of the popular blog and social media channel dedicated to the behind the scenes of the opera world, 360° of Opera. For more information and updates on upcoming engagements, please visit www.eugeniaforteza.com and follow Eugenia on social media at@fortezaeugenia & @360ofOpera.
Wayne Arthur Paul:
Wayne Arthur Paul is a versatile artist who imbues his work with a heartfelt intelligence that is well-suited for many genres. In 2016 Wayne was a featured soloist in Kathleen Battle's 'Underground Railroad: A Spiritual Journey' at the Metropolitan Opera House. This season he returns to the Met to make his debut in the ensemble of the new production of Porgy & Bess. In 2015 he made his LA Opera debut in Songs from the Uproar by Missy Mazzoli. Over the summer Wayne was an Eva & Marc Stern Fellow at SongFest at the Colburn School in Los Angeles where he performed the music of Jake Heggie and Shawn Okpebholo in recital. Earlier this year he appeared in concert with the Face the Music Ensemble at National Sawdust in Courtney Bryan's Yet Unheard (inspired by the tragic death of Sandra Bland). Wayne was also recently a featured soloist in the Pyer Moss fashion week show at Brooklyn's King Theatre He has appeared as a performer in visual artist Derrick Adams' 'ON' at Pioneer Works. In November Wayne looks forward to playing the role of Polypheme in Handel's 'Acis and Galatea' with 'Concerts in the Village' in Kinderhook, NY. Wayne holds a BM in vocal performance from New England Conservatory and is currently pursuing his Master's degree at the Bard College Conservatory Vocal Arts Program founded by Soprano Dawn Upshaw and now led by Mezzo-Soprano Stephanie Blythe.
