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Florencia
in the Amazon

PERFORMANCES

March 15, 2019
March 17, 2019

LOCATION

Saenger Theatre

LANGUAGE

Spanish with English supertitles

COMPOSER

Daniel Catán

details

Experience the transformational power of Catán’s lush romantic score as the magical realism of Gabriel García Márquez awakens the Amazon and the passenger who travel down it.

To read the full Opera synopsis please click here.

Cast

Elizabeth Caballero

as Florencia
Soprano

Soprano Elizabeth Caballero’s performance in her signature role, Violetta in La traviata, is touted as “animated, communicative and believable, singing with a big, facile, focused sound while making the vocal demands of the role seem easy and natural.” Her dramatically compelling interpretation of Violetta led to recent engagements to perform the role for houses across the country, such as Florentine Opera, Madison Opera, Pacific Symphony, and the Orlando Philharmonic. This season, Ms. Caballero will reprise her Violetta in La traviata with la Compañía Lírica Nacional in Costa Rica; sing the soprano solo in Carmina Burana with Asheville Symphony and National Chorale; return to The Metropolitan Opera for their production of La bohème; perform the role of Cio-Cio San in Madama Butterfly with Pensacola Opera; and reprise the title role of Daniel Catán’s Spanish opera Florencia en el Amazonas with Madison Opera. Future seasons will see Ms. Caballero making returns to Seattle Opera and Austin Opera.

Luis Alejandro Orozco*

as Ríolobo
Baritone

An El Paso Texas native, Mexican-American Baritone Luis Alejandro Orozco has been praised for his “voluminous baritone and beautiful legato.”

Mr. Orozco’s 2022-2023 season begins with Nashville Opera, singing Marcello in La bohème. Additionally, he returns to The Metropolitan Opera as a Flemish Deputy in Don Carlos. Last season included his Metropolitan Opera debut, singing the Prime Minister in their English version of Cendrillon. Last season he also curated and sang in a Hispanic Heritage Concert with Fort Worth Opera, followed by his debut with Virginia Opera as Marcello in a condensed La bohème. He then returned to Opéra de Lyon to remount Maria de Buenos Aires on their mainstage, singing El Payador, joined Intermountain Opera as the Count in Le nozze di Figaro, and appeared with Minnesota Opera in a gala concert.

During the 2020-2021 season, Luis Orozco made his Swiss debut as Riolobo in Florencia en el Amazonas with Theater St. Gallen, performed Escamillo in Carmen with Pensacola Opera, and joined the Nuits de Fourvière Festival to sing El Payador in Maria de Buenos Aires in collaboration with Opéra de Lyon.

Artist Website >>

Evelyn Saavedra

as Rosalba
Soprano

Praised for her “lustrous soprano voice”, Evelyn Saavedra is quickly establishing herself as a “gifted young singer to watch” (South Florida Classical Review). Born in Cuba and raised in Miami, Florida, Evelyn returned to Pensacola Opera for the 2017/18 season as an Artist in Resident where she was seen in the roles of Maria in Maria de Buenos Aires, Kate Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, and Antonia in Man of La Mancha. During the 2016/17 season, she debuted as Young Alyce in Glory Denied, Sacerdotessa in Aïda, and Sister Catherine in the Florida premiere of Jake Heggie’s Dead Man Walking, where she also covered the role of Kitty Hart. Other operatic credits include Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro, Rose in Street Scene, The Governess in The Turn of the Screw, Featured Dater in the world premiere of Michael Ching’s Speed Dating Tonight, and Agrippina in Agrippina where she was praised for “coloring her vocalism expressively… she dominated every scene, singing with striking dramatic heft and passion” (South Florida Classical Review).

In 2016 she returned to the Janiec Opera Company at the Brevard Music Center to perform the female title role of Epiphany Proudfoot in the world premiere of Falling Angel, an opera by J. Mark Scearce, where she was lauded for being an “alluring soprano (who) brought sensitivity to Epiphany” (Wall Street Journal). On the concert stage she has been featured in Mozart’s Coronation Mass and Handel’s Messiah with the Choral Society of Pensacola. The 2017/18 season marked her debut with the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra where she appeared as a soloist in their Mozart Madness concert. Other credits include soprano soloist in Vaughn Williams’s Serenade to Music conducted by Keith Lockhart as well as his Symphony No.3 conducted by Jayce Ogren with the Brevard Music Center Orchestra.

Ms. Saavedra holds a Master’s Degree in Vocal Performance & Literature from the Eastman School of Music where she received the first prize at the Friends of Eastman Opera Competition in 2015, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Vocal Performance from Florida International University.

Andres Acosta*

as Arcadio
Tenor

Cuban American tenor, Andres Acosta, began the 2017 season with his final Master’s recital at the Jacobs School of Music, where he studied with acclaimed soprano, Carol Vaness. Andres was a member of the prestigious Merola Opera program and made his San Francisco Opera debut on the Schwabacher concert, covering Ramiro in Rossini’s La Cenerentola and performing on the Grand Finale concert.  He is currently a Resident Artist with Minnesota Opera as a part of their 2017-2018 season.

In 2017 he performed the role of Ernesto in Donizetti’s Don Pasquale, Don Basilio in Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro, Borsa in Verdi’s Rigoletto and closed the season covering the role of Nicias in Massenet’s Thaïs. He returns to Minnesota Opera in June of 2018 as Timothy in Gregory Spears’ new opera, Fellow Travelers.

Andres received an Encouragement award as Central Regional finalist for the Metropolitan Opera National Council competition, won second place in the Dorothy Lincoln-Smith competition, and first place in the National Society of Arts and Letters-Bloomington Chapter competition. He was awarded the Judy George Junior Young Artist First Prize award in the 2015 Young Patronesses of the Arts competition and is recognized as a Brautlecht Estate Endowed and Music Guild Scholar.

Andres earned his Bachelor of Arts degree at Florida State University where he studied with David Okerlund.

* Pensacola Opera debut artist

Creative & Production Team

STAGE DIRECTOR | John Hoomes*
CONDUCTOR | Cody Martin
PIANIST | Kelvin Ying

ALSO APPEARING:
The Pensacola Opera Chorus & Pensacola Symphony Orchestra

* Pensacola Opera debut artist

Florencia in the Amazon Extras

Meet the Artists Luncheon

Tuesday, March 5 at 11:30 AM,
Cost: $30

Meet the Artists Reception

Friday, March 15 after the show
Cost: $50, $40 for Season Subscribers

Director’s Champagne Brunch

Sunday, March 17 at 11:45 AM
Cost: $50

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