April FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. Tenor Andrew Lunsford (Prince Calàf ) Bass James Moellenhoff (King Timur)

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1 April Press Release PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Opera Fort Collins Proudly ANNOUNCES: Giacomo Puccini May Lincoln Center tu R andot Riddle Me This... Giacomo Puccini s final commedia dell arte (masked) three-act opera, Turandot, is set in China. There, the barbarian Prince Calàf falls in love with the beautiful but emotionally cold Princess Turandot. To obtain permission to marry her, a suitor must solve three riddles; any false answer results in death. Calàf passes the test, yet Turandot still hesitates to marry him. He offers her a way out, agreeing to die should she be able to guess his real name. So... will she melt or does he get burned? Sung in Italian with easy- to-read English supertitles. Opera length: Three hours. NOTE: One Performance Only. Pre-Opera Talk: Arrive at 6:30 p.m. for the Turandot pre-opera talk. OFC Artistic and Music Directors will offer a wealth of information about the opera you are about to experience. Featuring: Tenor Andrew Lunsford (Prince Calàf ) Bass James Moellenhoff (King Timur) Introducing: Soprano Leah Crowne (Turandot) Soprano Kimberli Render (Liù) Directed by: Brian Clay Luedloff, Artistic Director Wes Kenney, Conductor with The Fort Collins Symphony Details: Friday. May :30 p.m. The Lincoln Center Performance Hall Tickets: $70 $50 $35 $20 student $40 Group Rate (10+) Lincoln Center Box Office 417 W. Magnolia Fort Collins Web/Phone: operafortcollins.org Media Contact: Vicki Fogel Mykles Opera Fort Collins Executive Director mykles@operafortcollins.org 1/5

2 Summary: Opera Fort Collins proudly presents a new production of Giacomo Pucinni s commedia dell arte opera TURANDOT. This passionate tale of a Chinese princess whose cruelty veils her fear of love features some of Puccini s most stirring music, including the acclaimed Nessun dorma (None Shall Sleep). It is a dramatic fairy-tale about family loyalty, faithfulness to duty, openness to emotion, and personal integrity. The barbarian Prince Calàf arrives in an unknown city where he is reunited with his father and a faithful servant. Seeing her from afar, Calàf falls in love with the beautiful but emotionally-cold Princess Turandot. To obtain permission to marry her, a suitor must solve three riddles; any false answer results in death. Many a young man has lost his head (literally) trying to win Turandot for his bride. Calàf passes the test, yet still the princess hesitates to marry him. He offers her a way out, agreeing to die should she be able to guess his real name. So... will she melt or does he get burned? Sung in Italian w/ easy-to-read English supertitles. Pre-Opera Talk: Arrive at 6:30 p.m. for the Turandot pre-opera talk. OFC Artistic and Music Directors will offer a wealth of information about the opera you are about to experience. Featuring: Tenor Andrew Lunsford (Prince Calàf) Bass James Moellenhoff (King Timir) Introducing: Soprano Leah Crowne (Turandot) Soprano Kimberli Render (Liù) Directed by: Brian Clay Luedloff, Artistic Director Wes Kenney, Conductor with The Fort Collins Symphony Performance Frequency: Rarely performed due to its complexity and large cast, Turandot is one of opera s greatest and most recognizable works. It is a staple of the standard operatic repertoire and it appears as number 17 on the Operabase list of the most-performed operas worldwide. The OFC production of Turandot will be performanced once only at the Fort Collins Lincoln Center on Friday May 30 at 7:30 p.m. Single tickets range from $20-$70. $40 Group Rate for 10 or more. To purchase, visit lctix.com or call the LC Box Office at Background: Turandot is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini, set to a libretto in Italian by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni. Unfortunately, Puccini died before the completion of Turandot in At his death, the first two of the three acts were fully composed, including orchestration. Act III was composed and fully orchestrated up until Liu s final aria, with 36 pages of sketches on 23 sheets for the ending. These sketches supplied music for some, but not all, of the final portion of the libretto. Puccin s son, Tonio, chose Franco Alfano to complete the opera. Alfano used Puccini s own notes and outlines to complete the opera. Famously, Maestro Arturo Toscanini did not include Alfano s ending in the1926 opening night. Following Liù s final scene, the conductor laid down his baton and addressed the audience saying, Here the Maestro died. All subsequent performances included Alfano s ending. As with Madama Butterfly, Puccini strove for a semblance of Asian authenticity (at least to Western ears) by incorporating folk melodies from a Chinese music box that was given to him by Baron Fassini Camossi, the former Italian diplomat to China. Up to eight of the themes used in Turandot appear to be based on traditional Chinese music and anthems. The melody of the Chinese song Jasmine (Mò Li Hūa) is included as a motif for the princess. Production Details: Opera Fort Collins single production is directed by OFC Artistic Director Brian Clay Leudloff. This fully staged performance will feature sumptuous costumes from the 2012 Dallas Opera production, and employ the minimal sets that are typical of Chinese opera. OFC Music Director Wes Kenney conducts the Fort Collins Symphony. 2/5

3 Cast American Tenor Andrew Lunsford (Prince Calàf) is a rising artist who hails from Colorado. FOX NEWS describes Mr. Lunsford as quickly rising to the top due to his jaw dropping voice, and Inside Magazine describes him as having a take your breath away high C. He has been featured on some of the world s most distinguished stages including The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., The Valley Performing Arts Center in Los Angeles, and Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage Carnegie Hall in New York City. In addition, he has been featured on ABC & NBC NEWS, and in various newspapers, trade journals and magazines such as Indianapolis Monthly, Indiana University Alumni Magazine, and Classical Singer Magazine. Lunsford was also featured in The Accidental Tenor, a prime time CNN news feature that documented the unusual path he took toward his operatic career. After discovering his vocal abilities in his late 20s, Lunsford was granted a full scholarship to the esteemed Indiana University s Jacobs School of Music, where he trained with legendary soprano Carol Vaness. In 2010, The Conservatory Project: Today s Best Students, Tomorrow s Brightest Stars, featured Lunsford as he represented Indiana University. As a member of this prestigious program designed to showcase music students with the brightest futures from the top 15 conservatories in the nation, he performed in recital at the Kennedy Center of Performing Arts. Lunsford s upcoming roles include the tenor soloist in the Mozart Requiem with the Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra, covering the role of Pinkerton in Puccini s Madama Butterfly, and singing the roles of President Arthur and Bushy in Chautauqua Opera s The Ballad of Baby Doe. In 2014, he returns in recital to the Perelman Stage / Stern Auditorium Carnegie Hall. Contact: CNN: FOX NEWS: 9 News NBC: American Dramatic Soprano Leah Crowne (Princess Turandot) is an emerging professional artist who is quickly earning a reputation for her strong stage presence, powerful voice, and beautiful tone. Opera Fort Collins is pleased to debut Ms. Crowne in the title role of Puccini s Turandot on May 30, She was a finalist in the season auditions for the Ryan Opera Center of the Lyric Opera of Chicago, where her Dich, teure Halle from Tannhäuser was praised as being spot on and glorious. In 2013, Crowne was invited in 2013 by Dolora Zajick to attend the Institute for Young Dramatic Voices. She performed the roles of Ariadne in Ariadne auf Naxos and Donna Anna in Don Giovanni with the Hub Opera ensemble in Hagerstown, and received a young artist scholarship as an Emerging Singer in the Wagner Society of Washington DC. Credits include selections of Leonora from La forza del Destino and Norma at Opera New Jersey, Puccini s Suor Angelica, solos in Vivaldi s Gloria. Earlier credits include the heroines of Mozart: Contessa (Le Nozze di Figaro), Fiordiligi (Cosi fan tutte), and Elettra (Idomeneo), Chrysothemis (Elektra), Woglinde (Das Rheingold) and Sieglinde (selections from Die Walküre). An avid pedagogue, Crowne serves as faculty at Gettysburg College, Mount Saint Mary s University, and The International School of Music. She lives in Frederick, Maryland. Direct Contact: 3/5

4 American Bass James Moellenhoff (King Timur) began his career singing with American opera companies. Hailed for his sonorous voice and dignified stage presence in roles such as Gurnemanz (Parsifal), König Marke (Tristan und Isolde), the title role in Boris Godunov, Zacharias (Nabucco), and Sarastro (Die Zauberflöte), he is equally well known for his comedic gifts in roles such as Osmin (Die Entführung aus dem Serail), Kezal (Die Verkaufte Braut), and John Falstaff (Die Lustige Weiber von Windsor). After numerous engagements across the United States and Canada, Mr. Moellenhoff made his European debut in Germany in Since that time, he has appeared in opera houses in Bremen, Karlsruhe, Mannheim, Hannover, Frankfurt, Cologne, Stuttgart, and Berlin, as well as on Austrian stages in Bern and Salzburg. His extensive repertoire also includes Rocco (Fidelio), Sparafucile (Rigoletto), Handel s Saul, Silva (Ernani), il Grande Inquisitore (Don Carlo), as well as his celebrated performances of the Wagnerian repertoire, in which he has embodied Gurnemanz (Parsifal), Pogner (Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg), Hunding (Die Walküre), Hagen (Götterdämmerung), and Landgraf (Tannhäuser). Upcoming engagements include König Marke in Tristan und Isolde in concert with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra under Kent Nagano, Hagen in Götterdämmerung at the Royal Opera in Stockholm and The Royal Opera House Covent Garden, and Fafner in Siegfried for De Vlaamse Opera. Moellenhoff s musical versatility is evident in his varied concert repertoire, which includes Haydn s Creation, Handel s Messiah, Rossini s Stabat Mater, Beethoven s Missa Solemnis, the Matthäuspassion of Bach and the Requiems of Mozart and Verdi. He received his musical training in voice and trumpet in his hometown of St. Louis, Missouri. He later completed a Bachelor of Music degree at Southwest Missouri State University before earning his Master of Music at the University of Texas at Austin. Currently, he resides in Leipzig, Germany, where he is a member of the opera ensemble. Direct Contact: American Lyric Soprano Kimberli Render (Liù), originally from Columbus, Georgia, never dreamed of a career in opera. Now she can be seen performing throughout Colorado, the United States, and abroad. Her voice has been praised for her effortless and rich tone. Opera Fort Collins welcomes Ms. Render as she makes her professional debut in Puccini s Turandot as Liù, May 30. Recent operatic performances include the role of Hanna Glawari in Colorado State University s production of The Merry Widow, Elisetta in Il matrionio segreto, the Governess in Turn of the Screw, Micaela in Carmen, and Lucinda in Into the Woods. Credits include Mozart s Coronation Mass the soprano soloist for Bach s Magnificat under the baton of the world-renowned conductor, Helmuth Rilling, and as a featured performer on the Broadway and Beyond concert with Metropolitan Opera baritone Stephen West. During 2012, Ms. Render made her international debut singing the role of Donna Anna in Don Giovanni with Opera Orvieto in Italy. Upcoming concert engagements include a performance in Mozart s Requiem. Render s hard work has earned her continued success as a vocal artist. She was the 2012 First Place award winner in the prestigious Denver Lyric Opera Guild competition, a district winner in the Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions, and numerous awards at the National Association of Teachers of Singers and Music Teachers National Association competitions. In 2011 Render completed two Bachelors of Music degrees in Music Education and Vocal Performance at Columbus State University s Schwob School of Music. She completed her Master in Vocal Performance degree at Colorado State University in Currently, she has a private voice studio and is teaching Music Appreciation at CSU. Direct Contact: 4/5

5 Opera Fort Collins Mission The Mission of Opera Fort Collins is to entertain, enrich and educate through the professional presentation of opera productions and community engagement programs. OFC is a non-profit performing arts organization. Graphics and photos available by request. Opera Fort Collins Contacts Artistic Director Brian Clay Luedloff luedloff@operafortcollins.org Music Director Wes Kenney batons2@earthlink.net Chorus Master /Outreach Director Dr. Gerald Holbrook mawaka@aol.com Executive Director Vicki Fogel Mykles vmykles@gmail.com Technical Director Roger Sherman roger.sherman@unco.edu OFC President Lisa Rephlo lmrephlo@gmail.com Post Office Box 503. Fort Collins. CO info@operafortcollins.org # # # # 5/5