Teatro Grattacielo Presents YOUNG Artists Opera: L’ELISIR D’AMORE

Teatro Grattacielo, in partnership with Camerata Bardi International Academy (US) and Cultural Center of Crete, presents YOUNG Artists Opera: L’ELISIR D’AMORE from Thursday, April 18 - Sunday, April 21, 2024 at Cultural Conference Center of Heraklion, Plastira 49, Iraklio 712 01, Greece. For more information, visit https://grattacielo.org/season/young-artists-opera-lelisir-damore-at-the-cultural-center-of-crete-gr.

With music by Gaetano Donizetti and libretto by Felice Romani, this fully staged melodrama is geared towards young opera artists.

CREATIVE TEAM

Myron Michaildis | Conductor

Stefanos Koroneos | Director, Projections Photographer & Costumes Designer

Elda Kladaki | Set Designer

Dimitris Koutas | Lighting Designer

Chara Spathi | Projections Designer

Sarah Barrera | Assistant Director

This event is sponsored by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation, World Baseball, and Lucky Supply Inc.

About the Artists

Widely regarded as one of the most important Greek conductors, Maestro Myron Michailidis is currently General Music Director of the Philharmonic Orchestra and Theatre Erfurt, Germany, as well as the very first Artistic Director of the new Heraklion Cultural and Conference Center in Greece.

Appointed “Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres” by the French Republic in 2016, Michailidis served as Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the Greek National Opera from 2011 to 2017. His contributions to the institution’s achievements and successes were honoured with the Society of Friends of the Greek National Opera’s prestigious “Apollo Award” in his final year. Maestro Michailidis’ conducting style is characterized as impassioned and vivid, yet authoritative, allowing him to deliver outstanding dynamic control as well as wide-ranging musical expression. The Greek Critics Award bestowed upon him “Honourable Award for Music and Theatre”. Prior to his tenure as Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of The Greek National Opera, Michailidis was Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra, a post he held from 2004 to 2011. From 1999 to 2004 he further served as Permanent Conductor at the Eastern Saxony Opera in Germany.

With a repertoire spanning over 250 symphonic works and 40 operas ranging from the Baroque to the Contemporary, Maestro Michailidis is particularly known for his interpretations of Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff, as well as the operatic works by Verdi, Puccini, Gounod and Wagner. He has conducted some of the most renowned orchestras throughout Germany, China, Israel, Italy, Czech Republic, Russia, Mexico, Slovakia, Poland, Romania, Portugal, Taiwan, including the Berlin Symphony Orchestra, Vienna Chamber Orchestra, Rome Symphonic Orchestra, Shanghai Opera House Orchestra, Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra, Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, Bucharest National Opera, Staatsorchester Braunschweig, Philharmonisches Orchester Erfurt, Astrakhan Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra della Fondazione Teatro Lirico Giuseppe Verdi di Trieste, George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra, Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra, Mexico State Orchestra, Odessa Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as all of the major orchestras in Greece. While with the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra, Michailidis led concerts at various festivals in Greece as well as abroad. In December 2007, during the celebration events of the Cultural Year of Greece in China, he took the Orchestra on tour to Beijing China, host of the 2008 Olympic Games.

Elda Kladaki XXX

Dimitris Koutas was born in Athens, Greece and his lighting design has earned him much recognition throughout the country. Koutas has designed operas directed by N.Petropoulos and Fanny Ardant. He has also lit many concerts at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, giving him the opportunity to work with diverse disciplines and backgrounds in the arts. He has been the Lighting programmer at the Greek National Opera since 2007 and has had the opportunity to work with internationally recognized Lighting Designers such as Fabiana Piccioli and Robert Wilson. Not only does he design worlds for opera, but he is known for his impactful vision in the dance community. He has had the privilege to design for the GNO dance school for the past 8 years, as well as for many international choreographers. Koutas believes that light can be impactful not only in performance, but also in a historical setting which lended to his time working on the lighting design team for monuments like the Temple of Hephaestus and the Philopappos Monument.

Dimitris is currently collaborating with Teatro Grattacielo a NYC Opera Company and looks forward to illuminating more worlds for his audiences.

Chara Spathi is a visual artist born and raised in Athens, Greece. At the age of 16 she began her studies in design and animation. She completed her 3D animation and Compositing/ VFX courses in 2017 at YAFKA School. Since 2020 she has been studying fine arts (BA) at Athens School of Fine Arts. Her working experience started in 2018 and is focused on live visuals and screenings for entertainment, theater, opera, and TV. At the same time she is active in artistic creation with the production of works mainly through 3D Design and traditional mediums.

Sarah Barrera was born in San Diego, California and received her Bachelor of Music from Northern Arizona University and her Masters in Music from University of Denver. While pursuing her master's degree, she played the leading roles of Susanna in Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro and Lauretta in Puccini's Gianni Schicchi. Her love for opera and classical singing began when she was invited to be an apprentice for the summer at the Greek Opera Studio at the age of 17. She has since sung in Italy, Bulgaria, Turkey, and Austria. She currently lives in NYC where she teaches music and dance, as well as holds a management position with Manhattan's premiere children's music company Juliette and Ella's Playdate.

About Teatro Grattacielo

Teatro Grattacielo was founded in 1995 in New York City with a mission to preserve and perform lesser-known Italian operas. Over the years, the organization has achieved numerous milestones that demonstrate its commitment to excellence in the arts.

One of Teatro Grattacielo’s most notable accomplishments is its successful production of rare and overlooked operatic works such as Mascagni’s Guglielmo Ratcliff, Il Piccolo Marat, and Iris, Montemezzi’s L’Amore dei Tre Re, L’Incantesimo, and Risurrezione, Zandonai’s Giulietta e Romeo as well as Giordano’s La Cena Delle Beffe. Through meticulous research and dedication to musical authenticity, the company has unearthed forgotten gems from the Italian operatic tradition and brought them to life on stage.

Additionally, Teatro Grattacielo has established itself as a leader in the opera community through its collaborations with internationally recognized artists and conductors. By fostering these relationships, the organization has been able to create world-class productions that are both artistically inspiring and technically impressive.

Overall, Teatro Grattacielo’s dedication to preserving and promoting Italian opera has made it one of the premier opera companies in the United States. Its commitment to excellence and authenticity has earned it the admiration of audiences, critics, and artists alike.

Since its new leadership in 2022, the company has accomplished the following:

1. Expanded repertoire- In addition to performing lesser-known Italian operas, Teatro Grattacielo has also performed works in other languages. Teatro Gratttacielo is about to commission it’s first opera in English.

2. International recognition- Teatro Grattacielo has gained a reputation outside of the US.

3. Collaborations- The company has collaborated with other arts and city organizations, including the Battery Park City Authority, Opera Hispanica, The Queens Symphony, Cultural and Conference Center of Crete, Lincoln sponsored The Festival of NY and Megaron Thessaloniki.

4. Educational programs- Teatro Grattacielo has a robust educational program that includes lectures, workshops, and masterclasses.

5. Innovations in performance- The company has experimented with multimedia and other interactive performance techniques to engage audiences in new ways.

For more information, visit grattacielo.org.

#