HSO Presents 'Night at the Opera'

The Hartford Symphony Orchestra will perform a program of arias, choruses, overtures and more at “A Night at the Opera” on Friday, April 1 at 8 pm in the Belding Theater at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts.

Led by former Connecticut Opera Artostoc Director Willie Anthony Waters and joined by guest soprano Mary Dunleavy, this program will feature music from Puccini’s La bohème and Madama Butterfly, Leoncavallo’s I Pagliacci, Verdi’s Rigoletto, Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana, and more. The concert will also feature a chorus of local singers under the direction of Neely Bruce.

"I have put together a night of opera favorites that will showcase the beautiful diversity of this incredible art form," Waters said. "From Puccini to Johann Strauss to Verdi, this will be a program of music that is both entertaining and soulful. We will be joined by the immensely talented Mary Dunleavy, one of Connecticut Opera's most beloved artists."

A native of Old Saybrook,Dunleavy’s 2010-11 season includes the lead soprano in New York City Opera's revival of Strauss' Intermezzo, the soprano soloist in Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with the Richmond Symphony, and her first Marguerite in Faust with Opera Birmingham, followed by further performances of the role in North Carolina Opera's inaugural season. Future seasons will include an appearance in a new production with L’Opéra de Montréal, and returns to the roster of the Metropolitan Opera and to The Dallas Opera.

Tickets range from $30 to $62. Student tickets are $10. To purchase tickets or for more information, call 860-244-2999 or visit http://www.hartfordsymphony.org/.