Cook County News Herald

Opera on the Iron Range




The Northern Lights Music Festival, based in Aurora, Minnesota, has been awarded a $34,925 Arts Touring Grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board to bring performances of Puccini’s romantic opera, La boheme and symphonic and chamber music concerts to several Iron Range communities.

Three performances of La boheme are scheduled in July: the new production, designed by Phillip Graneto, will open at Mesabi East Auditorium in Aurora on Friday, July 12, with additional performances in Chisholm on Sunday, July 14 and Ely on Monday, July 15. The opera, with full sets, costume and professional orchestra, will be conducted by Maestro Gavriel Heine, the musical director of the Northern Lights Music Festival, and conductor at St. Petersburg, Russia’s Mariinsky Theatre.

The Stage Director for La boheme will be Bill Fabris of New York, whose long list of credits include Chatauqua Opera, Opera Boston, and Opera Carolina.

Participating regional artists will sing in the opera chorus, and children are invited to audition for the children’s chorus. Interested singers, both children and adults, should contact Barbara Baldrica at baldricava@gmail.com.

Additional chamber music concerts presenting talented students and faculty will be held throughout the month of July.

For more information, visit the NLMF website: www.northernlightsmusic.org.



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