Florentine Opera Recording of RÍO DE SANGRE Nominated for a Grammy Award
LOS ANGELES, California—December 5, 2012 -- Among the nominees for the 55th annual Grammy Awards, which were announced last month in Los Angeles, was the Albany Records recording of the Florentine Opera Company’s 2010 World Premiere of Río de Sangre under the category of Producer of the Year, Classical
About the opera
Florentine Opera General Director William Florescu selected Río de Sangre for a number of reasons, including its excellent English-to-Spanish translation by Alicia Partnoy, fulfilling an organizations goal of the Florentine Opera to produce an original, world premiere opera sung in Spanish. Río de Sangre, an opera in three acts that premiered with 62 orchestra players on October 22, 23, and 24 of 2010.
Florentine Opera
General Director William Florescu on Río de Sangre;
“From the moment I first read and listened to Río de Sangre, I was won over by its drama and universal appeal as a new work. I
am proud that the Florentine produced the world premiere of Río de Sangre, which has now achieved international acclaim through its
recording, introducing countless new fans to the opera. This Grammy Nomination
is an exciting endorsement of the Florentine’s recent innovative work.”
Don Davis commented on the Grammy bid for Río de Sangre; "The brilliant production talent of Blanton Alspaugh and SoundMirror captured, for posterity, the vision that William Florescu, Kate Gale and I had for a new opera of the 21st Century. I am immensely proud of this Albany Records release, and I'm truly honored to be associated with these visionaries of the opera world."
The Grammy nominated recording is currently
available on iTunes and through Sonifly, Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Winners
will be announced on February 10 at the 55th annual Grammy Awards.
For more information visit www.florentineopera.org
and www.grammy.com/nominees.
Additional information on the opera, reviews, images of the October 2011
release party (featuring FO General Director William Florescu, Maestro Joseph
Rescigno) are available on the Río de Sangre
website at http://www.riodesangre.com/
INFORMATION / INTERVIEWS
For
additional biographies or to schedule an interview, please contact Richard
Clark, Marketing & Communications Director, by telephone at 414/291.5700
ext 213,
or via email at rclark@florentineopera.org.
NOMINATION DETAILS FOR Río
de Sangre
Producer of the Year, Classical (category 71 on grammy.com)
Blanton Alspaugh (producer) for Davis: Río de Sangre (Joseph Rescigno, Vale Rideout, Ava Pine, John Duykers, Kerry Walsh, Guido LeBron, The Florentine Opera Company & Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra)
ABOUT THE RECORDING OF Río de Sangre
Don Davis’ Río de Sangre was
released in October of 2011 under the Albany Records label. Generous funding
for the recording was provided by Opera America, and contributions from members
of the Florentine Opera Board of Directors.
ABOUT THE
FLORENTINE OPERA COMPANY
The Florentine Opera Company’s productions reflect the
highest musical and theatrical standards, while supporting community and
educational programs. As a leader in Wisconsin's art community and the nation’s
sixth-oldest opera company, the Florentine Opera seeks to establish a
significant presence in the cultural, educational and civic life of the state
of Wisconsin and beyond. Audiences enjoy beautiful mainstage productions that
include first-rate vocal artistry brought to life by established and emerging
international, national and local opera stars. With a foundation of fiscal
responsibility, the company continues to grow its artistic and educational
programs. Through its outreach and in-school educational programming, the
Florentine provides vital arts education experiences for children, nurtures new
audiences, and expands cultural horizons for the next generation. The
Florentine Opera is a cornerstone member organization of the United Performing
Arts Fund and receives funds from the Milwaukee County and the State of
Wisconsin, as well as support from corporations, foundations and individuals.
The Florentine Opera Company is a member of Opera America.
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