UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Penn State Philharmonic Orchestra will present "A Night at the Opera" at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11, in Eisenhower Auditorium. Joining the orchestra, in a performance of music from the world's most beloved operas, are Penn State student singers Julia Wolcott and Lisa Rogali, as well as dramatic mezzo-soprano Amanda Silliker, a resident of Bellefonte, Pa. The Philharmonic Orchestra is conducted by Gerardo Edelstein.
Tickets are $12 general/$4 student. Buy your tickets in advance for School of Music concerts in Eisenhower and Schwab auditoriums and save 40 percent off the price of admission. There is no limit on the number of tickets that can be purchased. Tickets are available at the Eisenhower Ticket Center (814-863-0255 or 800-ARTS-TIX) or online here. (Tickets purchased on the the day of the concert are not eligible.)
Program
Overture to "La Forza del Destino" -- Giuseppe Verdi
Prelude and Liebestod (from "Tristan and Isolde") -- Richard WagnerAmanda Silliker, mezzo-soprano
Prendero quel brunettino (from "Cosi fan tutte") -- Wolfgang Amadeus MozartLisa Rogali and Julia Wolcott, sopranos
Quando me'n vo (from "La Boheme") -- Giacomo PucciniLisa Rogali, soprano
Si, mi chiamano Mimi (from "La Boheme") -- PucciniJulia Wolcott, soprano
"Der Rosenkavalier Suite" -- Richard Strauss
The 90-member philharmonic orchestra presents five to six full concerts per academic year. Off campus, the Philharmonic has performed throughout the northeastern United States, including concerts at New York City's Carnegie Hall, Pittsburgh’s Heinz Hall, Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center and the MENC Eastern Division Conference in Baltimore. In March 2006, the orchestra participated by invitation in the sixth International Orchestra Festival in Zaragoza, Spain. The philharmonic’s repertoire from recent years has included works by Brahms, Debussy, Dvorak, Stravinsky, Beethoven, Mahler, Vaughn Williams, Rachmaninoff and Wagner. Enrollment, open to all University Park students, is by audition at the beginning of each semester.
Amanda Silliker, dramatic mezzo-soprano, studied vocal performance at Penn State. She is a varied performer who has recently performed such works as Verdi’s "Requiem" (Penn State), Beethoven’s 9th Symphony (Nittany Valley Symphony) and Vivaldi’s "Gloria" (Academy of Sacred Music’s Choral Institute). She has also performed with the Altoona Symphony, the Pennsylvania Chamber Chorale and Orchestra, Williamsport Symphony, Chamber Choir and Williamsport Chamber Orchestra. In 2010, performed selections from Bach’s "Weihnachts-Oratorium" with the Martin-Luther Chor in Münich, where she was also a choral director and organist. Favorite opera roles include the Mother in "Amahl and the Night Visitors" and Dido in "Dido and Æneas." She recently performed the role of Didymus in Handel’s "Theodora" in Williamsport. In addition to her work as an oratorio and opera singer, Amanda also regularly works in musical theater. She especially enjoys character roles such as the Widow Corney in "Oliver!" and Abby in "Musical of Musicals: the Musical," as well as more serious musical roles including the Mother Abbess in "The Sound of Music" and Nettie Fowler in "Carousel." Upcoming engagements include the role of Miss Hannigan in "Annie" in State College this coming February. More information can be found by visiting www.facebook.com/silliker.mezzo.
Julia Wolcott made her operatic debut as a college freshman in the role of Marcellina in Penn State's production of "The Marriage of Figaro." Subsequent roles included Fiordiligi in "Cosi fan tutte," Ottavia in Monteverdi’s "The Coronation of Poppea," the mother in "Amahl and the Night Visitors" and "The Consul," and La Ciesca in Puccini’s "Gianni Schicchi." She performed professionally with the Nittany Valley Symphony and Singing Onstage Productions while a student at State College Area High School. In the spring of 2012, Julia studied opera in Vienna. In summer 2013, she attended the SOARS Program (Summer Opera, Art Song, Recording Seminar) in Bayview, Mich., as well as OperaNEO, an opera festival and workshop in San Diego. Julia is finishing her bachelor of music degree in voice performance at Penn State, where she studies with Jennifer Trost. For more information, visit JuliaWolcott.com.
Lisa Rogali is a sophomore music education major and a voice student of Trost. She is a member of the Penn State Concert Choir, Sigma Alpha Iota and the Student National Association of Teachers of Singing (SNATS). She recently portrayed the role of Blanche de la Force in the Penn State Opera Theatre production of "Dialogues of the Carmelites." Lisa made her opera debut last year as Dorabella in Mozart’s "Cosi fan tutte," and was a member of the Street Chorus in Leonard Bernstein’s "Mass."