meet the cast
About the composer...
Engelbert Humperdinck
Engelbert Humperdinck—not to be confused with the famous 1960s British singer—was a German composer and prodigy who began composing singspiele when he was only 13. He studied with many prominent names in Germany, including Richard Wagner in the 1880s. Humperdinck's reputation rests chiefly on his opera Hänsel und Gretel, on which he began work in Frankfurt in 1890. He first composed four songs to accompany a puppet show his nieces were giving at home. Then, using a libretto and thematic suggestions by his sister, rather loosely based on the version of the fairy tale by the Grimm Brothers, he composed a singspiel of 16 songs with piano accompaniment and connecting dialogue. By January 1891, he had begun working on a complete orchestration. The opera premiered in Weimar on 23 December 1893, conducted by Richard Strauss. With its synthesis of Wagnerian techniques and traditional German folk songs, Hansel and Gretel was an instant success.
What might you recognize from the show...?
about the symphony orchestra
The Symphony Orchestra at Georgia State is the premier symphonic ensemble at Georgia State. A select, auditioned orchestra composed of graduate and undergraduate musicians, the Symphony Orchestra presents six to eight performances each academic year, performing music from a rich array of cultural traditions: symphonic literature, operatic works and contemporary compositions. The orchestra collaborates regularly with distinguished guest artists and composers, Georgia State music faculty, and other university ensembles. They are led by the Director of Orchestral Studies, Dr. Tamara Dworetz.
meet the directors
Kathryn hartgrove
STAGE DIRECTOR
Ms. Hartgrove is an active professional stage director and recently staged Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi for FIO ITALIA and will be returning to stage Rita and Suor Angelica. She staged Il Canterina for FIO ITALIA’s online summer opera festival in 2021. Prior to COVID-19, Ms. Hartgrove staged Suor Angelica in Uberlândia at the invitation for the famed Brazilian soprano Edimar Ferredi. She was invited to create and stage opera scenes programs for Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Brazil, the Universidade Federal de Uberlândia as part of an Artist in Residence and the Festival of International Opera of the Americas. Other engagements include Dido and Aeneas at the Festival Música das Esferas, Cagnoni’s Don Bucefalo, Haydn’s Il Mondo della Luna and Rita for La Musica Lirica in Italy, Pizza con Funghi by Seymour Barab with the Boston Opera Cooperative, Too Many Sopranos and Pizza con Funghi for Milwaukee Opera Theater, Die Zauberflöte for the University of Campinas, Brazil. She will stage direct a scenes program for the Universidade de Guanajuato in Mexico.
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Rolando Salazar
Music Director & Conductor
Maestro Rolando Salazar has a truly expansive operatic and symphonic repertoire. He has served as a Conductor, as well as Associate Conductor and Chorus Master with the Atlanta Opera in a record number fifty one productions. As a pianist, collaborations include performing alongside singers Morris Robinson, Jamie Barton, and Ryan McKinny, and many others. Recent conducting credits include The Shining, Rappaccini’s Daughter, The Crucible, Susannah, Die Zauberflöte, Our Town, as well as guest conducting engagements with The Atlanta Ballet, Rome Symphony Orchestra, Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra, and collaborations with Opera Louisiane and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. He keeps an active coaching and collaborative piano schedule in Atlanta, preparing numerous singers for major engagements with orchestras and opera houses worldwide. Rolando is a graduate of Georgia State University.