Opera Company of Philadelphia Produces A Grand Scale East Coast Premiere

The Opera Company of Philadelphia is proud to announce the East Coast Premiere and co-production of a new, full-length opera, Cyrano. The opera, based on the classic tale of Cyrano de Bergerac and composed by David DiChiera with a libretto by Bernard Uzan, debuts in Philadelphia in February 2008 as a centerpiece of the Company's 2007-2008 Season.

Baritone Marian Pop makes his Philadelphia debut in the title role, which he also creates in the October 2007 World Premiere of the piece with Michigan Opera Theatre. A regular starring artist at opera houses such as the Vienna State Opera and throughout Germany, he was recently praised by the Stuttgarter Nachrichten, which said, "Secure in his coloratura, with warm, yet strong baritonal timbre, the young Romanian is an extraordinary singer-actor, who characterizes his encounters with Minerva, Eumete, Telemanco... with impressive intensity."

Two alumni of Philadelphia's Academy of Vocal Arts join Pop. Soprano Evelyn Pollock, who makes her OCP debut this spring as Nannetta in Verdi's Falstaff, sings the role of Roxane. Pollock also has performance credits as Gilda in Rigoletto and in the title role of Lucrezia Borgia with Minnesota Opera, and as the lead heroine in Romeo and Juliet with Michigan Opera Theatre. As the young and dashing Christian, fellow AVA artist and tenor Stephen Costello stars.

Costello, who has sung numerous leading roles with the Academy of Vocal Arts, has recently appeared with Teatro Regio Torino and with Opéra National de Bordeaux, and makes his Opera Company debut in the new opera.

Director and librettist Bernard Uzan joins contemporary music specialist Maestro Stefan Lano to lead the production, which is sung in French. Set and costume designer John Pascoe, whose countless credits include productions for Royal Opera Covent Garden, the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera and Lyric Opera of Chicago, has created renderings for a lush and magnificent new production. -- www.operaphilly.com