" Bel Cantanti reminds us that our region's smaller companies are arguably smarter, better stewards of the art form, spending more wisely than the big-budget houses, presenting sturdy, smaller-scaled evenings of opera..."
Tom Huizenga. Washington Post, September 27, 2010
Die Schone Mullerin, Franz Schubert's novel in songs, tells the story of a young man's budding love for a beautiful maid, the miller's daughter. The courtship is depicted through an innovative production of singing and dancing (The Olney ballet), and through immersive streamed images and live illustrations surrounding the actors. The original piano accompaniment is replaced by an orchestrated arrangement by a chamber enemble to enhance the immersive experience. Our staged performance will be sung in German with projected English supertitles.
Join us as we meet a young man, full of strength and hope, and follow him on his travels towards his happiness. Spring nature, a briskly babbling brook, his companion, leads the young man to the mill,
where he falls in love with the miller's daughter. Confidence, happiness and love are soon replaced by anxiety, torments of jealousy, and the bitterness of betrayal.
In the gentle murmuring, lulling streams of the stream, the hero finds peace and solace.
Franz Schubert, a genius who lived a short life of 31 years, was able to write more than 600 songs, all of which we know and cherish to this day.
Baritone, Robert McGinness performs the cycle of twenty songs.
Accompanied by the chamber ensemble with BCO Artistic Director Dr. Katerina Souvorova leading at the piano.
Nature: brook, flowers, soloists: The Olney Ballet, choreographed by Erica Molina Hudak.
Live illustrations painted by Ksenya Litvak.
Light Design by Brydon Geisler.
Friday, May 27 at 7:30pm
Sunday, May 29 at 3:00pm
JCC of Greater Washington
6125 Montrose Ave. Rockville MD
Tickets: $40, can be bought online through Eventbrite and at the doors.
Buy Tickets Online
Tickets information : (240) 230-7372
In collaboration with The Four Seasons Dancers, artistic director Elena Jones.
Kalman operettas Countess Mariza, Queen of Csardas, The Circuss Princess, Baydere, Violet of Montmartre.
Sylva, Fedora: Emily Casey; Mariza, Stasi: Suzanne Karpov; Ninon, Mabel, Marguerite: Elizebeth Barnes;
Edwin, Tassilo: Han Jeong Wook; Boni, Tsupan: Peter Joshua Burroughs;
Mister X, Prince Radjami: Gustavo Ahualli, Boni, Feri: James Myers
Narrator: Gregory Stuart
Writer: Genevieve Wall
Choreographer: Elena Jones
Set Design: Ksenya Litvak
Costumes: Elena Jones
Lighting Design: Brydon Geisler
Violinist: Bagus Wiswakarma
BCO Artistic Director Katerina Souvorova at the piano.
"Genius and Crime - two things that do not combine" Mozart says to Salieri on the last evening of his life. "Could it be true, and I am not a genius?", questions Salieri then. We ask ourselves these questions now as well and find the answers with the singers on stage with the help of the Ghost of Mozart in the second part of the program.
Mozart: Han Jeong Wook; Salieri: Rob McGinness; Soprano-Primadonna: Danielle Talamantes; Baritone-Maestro: Kerry Wilkerson; Ghost of Mozart: Fedor Ouspensky.
Narration: Marie Harrison;
Set Design: Ksenya Litvak, Daria Souvorova.
BCO Artistic Director Katerina Souvorova at the piano.
This La Traviata is different. We created a production based on the Verdi's music and Alexandre Dumas fil's novel La Dame aux Camelias, focusing on the drama of three people
Violetta Valeri: Danielle Talamantes, Alfredo Germont: Han Jeong Wook and Giorgio Germont: Kerry Wilkerson.
Abridged, narrated, performed in Italian with English supertitles.
Live illustrations by Ksenya Litvak.
Narration: James Mayer and Marie Harrison.
Accompanied by BCO chamber ensemble:
Oleg Rylatko, violin I; Xi Chen, violin II; Uri Wassertzug, viola; Igor Zubkovsky, cello; Eugene Sidorov: oboe; Ronald Carlson: timpani; Katerina Souvorova, piano.
Asmik Arutiuniants, soprano; Claire Galloway, soprano
Viktoria Koreneva, mezzo soprano; Evgenia Pirshina, contralto
Michael Butler, tenor; Rob McGinness, baritone.
Live illustrations by Ksenya Litvak
Narration: Katerina Souvorova
Watch interviews with the cast
Watch interview with the artistic team
A beautifull fairy tale opera-movie created in time of Covid. Recorded digitally. Filmed in the open air.
Staged, performed in English with English captions. In costumes. With singers, puppets and a lot of magic.
Streaming on Zoom, Vimeo
Saturday, February 6, at 8:00pm
Gretel: Kelly Curtin; Hansel: Ashley Kay Armstrong; Witch: Max Zander;
Dew Fairy: Evelyn Tsen; Sandman: James M. Brown; Father: Daniel Neer;
Narrator: James M. Brown.
Stage Director: Catrin Davies
Costume Designer: Ksenya Litvak
Puppets: Ksenya Litvak
Director of Phography and Video, Editor: Brydon Geisler
Writer: Genevieve Wall
Makeup: Ksenia Volkova
Camera Operator: Eric Gramatges
Music Director, Editor:Katerina Souvorova
Piano, harp, flute accompaniment: Katerina Souvorova
Producer: Katerina Souvorova
Tickets online only through Eventbrite: $20
Ticket information: tickets:belcantanti.com or (240) 230-7372
Buy tickets online
A fairy tale, recorded during the time of Covid. Christmas carols sung by the Bel Cantanti Digital choir, recorded and performed acapella.
Accompanied by narrations and berautiful "live " illustrations by Ksenya Litvak.
Bel Cantanti Choir: Pia Williams; Melissa Tewis, Annie Gill, Evelyn Tsen, Anamer Castrello, Farah Kidwai, Alexandria Zallo
Peter Joshua Burroughs, Benjamin Goodrich, Allan Palacios Chan, Robin McGinness, John Boulanger, John Scherch, Sean Pflueger.
Narration: Annie Gill, Peter Joshua Burroughs
Art Work: Ksenia Litvak
Music director, Editor Katerina Souvorova
Producer Katerina Souvorova
A socially distant opera. Recorded remotely.
Tamino: Allan Palacios Chan; Papageno: Joseph Baker; First Lady: Emily Casey;
Second Lady: Clarie Galloway; Third Lady: Anamer Castrello.
Music director, Editor Katerina Souvorova
Costumes, Props Ksenya Litvak
Piano and water glasses accompaniment Katerina Souvorova
Producers: SideXSide Studios: Deanna DelCiello, Kathryn Carlson, Liza Slutskaya.
A story of love and hate in Mussolini's Italy. Inspired by Thomas Mann's Mario and the Magician.
In English, fully staged, in costume. Accompanied by a chamber orchestra
Briscula: Peter Burroughs; Claudio: Michael Butler; Giovanni: John Harrison; Silvestra: Leah Brzyski;
Man From the City: John Scherch; His Wife: Gretchen Krupp; Edward Buchleiter: Christian Simmons;
Soffronia Veronesi Rachel Sigman; Michele Veronesi: Matthey Lulofs, Georgio: Daniel Edward Sampson.
Cecilia: Melissa Chavez; Thugs: Carlos Rodriguez, Gregory Stuart, Bill Pastor.
Stage Director: Jennifer Blades
Stage Designer: Ksenia Litvak
Artistic Director, Producer Katerina Souvorova
Watch video
See photos
Gustavo Ahualli (baritone), Emily Casey (soprano), Katie Manukyan (soprano), Allan Palacios Chan (tenor), Evgenia Pirshina (mezzo soprano), Alex Alburqueque (baritone), Eric Gramatges (baritone).
Marie Harrison, script writer
Ksenya Litvak, designer
Katerina Souvorova, pianist.
BlackRock Center for the Arts
12901 Town Commons Dr, Germantown, MD 20874
Watch video
See photos
Rigoletto: Gustavo Feulien; Gilda: Chelsea Lehnea; Duke of Mantua: Han JeongWook
Sparafucile: Christian Isaiah Simmons; Maddalena: Laura Zahn;
Borsa: Michael Butler; Marullo: Justin Harrison; Count Ceprano: Eric Gramatges;
Monterone: Elliot Matheny; Giovanna: Jazmine Olwalia;
Countess Ceprano, Page: Amanda Staub; Usher: Joseph Kaz, Ted Kerrick
Stage Director: Catrin Davies
Stage Designer: Ksenia Litvak
Stage Designer: Robert Salm
Artistic Director, Producer Dr. Katerina Souvorova
A concert of the art songs by four women composers: Alma Mahler, Clara Schumann (Wieck),
Pauline Viardot-Garcia and Fanny Mendelssohn. In collaboration with the Olney Ballet theatre.
Jessica Adkins Acosta: soprano; Marie Marquis: soprano;
Victoria Koreneva: mezzo soprano; Allan Chan: tenor.
Igor Zubkovsky: cello; Eugeny Sidorov: oboe; Katerina Souvorova: keyboard.
John Scherch: narration, poetry reading.
Choreographer: Erica Molina Hudak.