The mannes opera of the new school's mannes school of music presents little women by mark adamo, with the mannes orchestra

Little Women Will be Conducted by Mannes Opera Artistic Director Joseph Colaneri and Directed by Mannes Faculty Member Laura Alley

The New School’s College of Performing Arts is pleased to announce that the acclaimed Mannes Opera Young Artists, led by Artistic Director Joseph Colaneri, will give two fully-staged performances of Mark Adamo’s Little Women with the Mannes Orchestra. Performances will take place May 6 & 7 at 7:30pm at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College (524 West 59th Street, New York). Admission is $25 for the public and $10 for students and seniors. Tickets are on sale at www.ticketcentral.com or by calling 212-279- 4200.

The production is directed by Mannes faculty member Laura Alley and designed by the Mannes Opera design team of Roger Hanna (sets), Helen E. Rodgers (costumes), Jeff Davis (lighting) and Amanda Miller (wigs and makeup).

Of the upcoming production, Colaneri said, “Little Women (1998) is the first opera written by American composer Mark Adamo to his own libretto, after Louisa May Alcott's tale of growing up in New England after the American Civil War. This work is a wonderful vehicle to showcase the talented young artists of The Mannes Opera, and highlights the Mannes School of Music’s continuing emphasis on the performance of contemporary music.”

Of Little Women, Adamo has said that “the novel itself part classic, part mass-culture perennial — as well as its young, lively characters in their antique locale reminded me of opera itself these days: an art buzzing with new writing and thinking while still working with resources.” The opera “range[s] between abstract and tonal, poetic and vernacular, song and symphonic forms.”

Founded in 1916, Mannes School of Music at The New School seeks to develop citizen artists who engage with the world around them in and through music, in traditional, new, and emergent forms of practice. Our eminent faculty of artists, scholars, and educators of international stature, including active professionals from all areas of the music world foster close, constructive relationships with students and are committed to advancing the creative role of music throughout all aspects of our rapidly changing society. Notable faculty include Jeremy Denk, multi-award winning and MacArthur Fellow pianist; Dave Douglas, multi-award winning and MacArthur Fellow trumpeter; Cynthia Phelps, principal violist of The New York Philharmonic; David Chan, Concertmaster of The Metropolitian Opera; Joan La Barbara, vocalist and pioneer in contemporary vocal music; William Burden, renowned operatic tenor; David T Little, composer; Missy Mazzoli, composer; Paul Moravec, composer; and many more.

Joseph Colaneri has served as Artistic Director of The Mannes Opera at Mannes College since 1998, which under his leadership has become one of the best regarded conservatory opera programs in America. He has conducted The Mannes Opera with The Mannes Orchestra in many highly successful fully staged productions at Hunter College’s Kaye Playhouse. Music Director of the acclaimed Glimmerglass Festival since 2013, he leads productions of La Boheme and The Thieving Magpie this 2016. Joseph Colaneri has served as a member of the Metropolitan conducting roster since 1998 and this season conducts Tosca and L’Elisir d’Amore. Colaneri served as Artistic Director of the West Australian Opera from 2012-2014. He began his career as a conductor with the New York City Opera (NYCO) (1987-1998). From 1995-1996 Mr. Colaneri served as Acting Music Director for NYCO, and from 1991-1998 served as Music Director of NYCO’s touring arm, the New York City Opera National Company. A frequent speaker on opera, Mo. Colaneri leads an annual lecture series for The Metropolitan Opera Club.

Laura Alley was stage director for the European premiere of The Ghosts of Versailles in Hanover, Germany, and has worked extensively at the New York City Opera directing such diverse works as La Bohème, Attila, La Rondine, and the American premieres of Kinkakuji, The Temple of Golden Pavilion, and The Dreyfus Affair. Among her opera company credits are Syracuse, Kansas City, San Francisco, Austin, Cleveland, Chautauqua, New Orleans, and El Paso, and Connecticut Opera Association. Ms. Alley has taught and directed opera workshop productions at Louisiana State University, the Kansas City Conservatory, Temple University, Nebraska Wesleyan University, Converse College, Rutgers University, New York University, Indiana University, and for Martina Arroyo’s “Prelude to Performance” program. She has been stage director for all full-length, fully staged productions of The Mannes Opera since 2005, and of all its “Evenings of Opera Scenes” productions since their inception in 2000.

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Media Contacts:

Will Wilbur,
The New School
212-229-5667 x 3990
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