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Board of Directors |
History of Opera Theatre of the Rockies |
Seasons |
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Martile Rowland Kathleen Fox Collins Michael Anselmi John Underwood Jenny Cowan Frances Folsom Sharon Friedman Timothy Fuller Jim Hurley Brian Murphy Charles Shay Darryl Thatcher Barbara Webb Joyce Vogel Beatrice Vradenburg Victoria Boswell Christopher Wilkins |
Opera Theatre of the Rockies was a dream, the dream
of a visionary who circled the globe captivating audiences from the world's
most prestigious stages with her tremendous operatic prowess. Opera Theatre
of the Rockies was founded in 1998 by international soprano, Martile Rowland,
with the expert guidance of Colorado Springs' own music community legends
Bee Vradenburg and Kathleen Fox Collins. And so it was, that in 1999, with
a Big Dream, a small purse and a cadre of enthused, energized and talented
singers, Martile Rowland launched Opera Theatre of the Rockies with three
sold out performances of The Merry Widow
upon the historic stage of the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center.
In 2000, Opera Theatre of the Rockies celebrated its Colorado roots with the Leadville story, The Ballad of Baby Doe followed in 2001 by the popular double-header from the Italian operatic repertoire - Gianni Schicchi and Pagliacci. Leonard Bernstein's American classic - Candide - was the success story of 2002 creating a new circle of friends and fans for Opera Theatre of the Rockies. Martile's uncompromising quest for musical and theatrical excellence brought "The Best of the Best" to the Armstrong Theatre stage for Daughter of the Regiment. Singers - surely sent by the Muses of Voice, a little gem of an orchestra led by the supremely talented Lawrence Leighton Smith and a hugely talented Production Team created a memorable experience. The 2004 Season sparkled with the production of The Marriage of Figaro - or to say it more deliciously - Le Nozze di Figaro. For this production Martile assembled a stellar cast of singer-actors and twenty-nine of Colorado's hottest orchestral musicians plus one equally fine conductor - Jamie Albritten. The 2005 season brought the intriguing dark tales of the mysterious Mack the Knife to the stage when OTR collaborated with UCCS Theatreworks for Kurt Weill's Threepenny Opera. This was followed by the magical tale of Cinderella with OTR's production of Rossini's La Cenerentola, enthusiastically received by the audience. OTR was formed to offer Colorado singers training, exposure and experience in the operatic arts. OTR's operatic family includes The Pikes Peak Opera League and the award-winning education program, OTR Goes to School. These outreach endeavors have introduced children and adults to opera as an art form that is absolutely accessible and relevant to their lives. OTR productions have received both public and critical acclaim and the Vocal Arts Symposiums have provided Colorado singers with invaluable experience and training from world-renowned artists. “I am constantly in awe of the dedication and courage of the singers, of the passion they exhibit for their art, and of the sheer joy that permeates their performance,” says Rowland. “OTR was created on the belief that immense talent surrounds us and that it is our obligation to provide a forum for that talent. Our hope is to increase a sense of pride in our community and in the artists who live among us.” OTR Company members are now our Colorado ambassadors to such companies and festivals as Central City Opera, Opera Colorado, Opera Fort Collins, Pacific Repertory Opera, Chataqua, Natchez Opera, St. Bartholomew's International Festival, Crested Butte Music Festival, Canary Islands Festival, Prague, Bulgaria, and Santa Fe Opera, San Diego Opera, to name a few. Ten productions have come to life under the OTR banner including the highly-acclaimed performances of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro seen in Colorado Springs during OTR's 2004 season. |
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