The Norwalk Symphony Orchestra winds down its musical exploration of the world with a concert devoted to the opera of Italy. On Saturday, May 16 at 8 p.m. and on Sunday, May 17 at 3 p.m. in a modified version for young families, the Norwalk Symphony along with the Fairfield County Chorale will present soprano Cristina Castaldi and tenor Ray Bauwens in popular arias and choruses from Gioacchino Rossini’s Barber of Seville, Giacomi Puccini’s La Boheme and Turandot, Pietro Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana and Giuseppe Verdi’s Il Trovatore, La Traviata and Aida at the Norwalk Concert Hall.
American soprano Cristina Castaldi will sing “Oh Mio Babbino Caro” from Gianni Schicchi and “Si, mi chiamano Mimi” from La Boheme. She has a Master of Music in Vocal Performance (with distinction) from The New England Conservatory of Music where she studied with Patricia Craig; and a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Kennesaw State College in Georgia. She was the winner of the Liederkranz Foundation Vocal Competition, was a finalist for the New Jersey Verismo Vocal Competition, and won the Opera at Florham Vocal Competition. She regularly performs solo recitals in the New York area including the Trinity Church Concerts at One series and at the Kosciusako Foundation. Other orchestral engagements include: soprano soloist in Handel’s Messiah, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Mozart’s Requiem and Coronation Mass, and Rutter’s Gloria.
Ray Bauwens will be performing “Che gelida manina” from La Boheme, and “Celesta Aida” from Aida. Tenor Ray Bauwens is well known to audiences in the New England area. His numerous operatic performances have been in Massenet’s Le Jongleur de Notre Dame, Puccini's Tosca, La Fanciulla del West, Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera, Ponchielli's La Gioconda, and Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana. He has appeared in oratorio and concert works including Beethoven's Symphony #9, Bach's St. Matthew Passion, Verdi's Requiem and Benjamin Britten's War Requiem. He has also worked with the National Symphony of the Ukraine, the Mexico State Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Academy of Music, the Connecticut Concert Opera, Opera Providence, and even traveled to Kiev to record Samuel Barber’s Vanessa.
Johannes Somary and his Fairfield County Chorale will perform “Nessun Dorma” from Puccini's Turandot, “Va Pensiero” (Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves) from Verdi's Nabucco, and “Vedi le fosche notturne spoglie” (Anvil Chorus) from Verdi's Il Trovatore.
In prreparation for the concert, feel free to investigate the Library's compact disc collection which includes many of these familiar works.
