HUBBARD HALL OPERA SINGERS TO PERFORM AT THE CLARK

For Immediate Release

July 22, 2013

WILLIAMSTOWN, MA—On Saturday, August 3 at 7 pm, singers from the Hubbard Hall Opera Theater based in Cambridge, New York will travel to the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute to perform selections from Gioachino Rossini’s comic opera Il Barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville). Tickets are $18 ($15 members). To purchase tickets, visit clarkart.edu or call 413 458 2303.

Il Barbiere di Siviglia, one of Rossini’s best-known works, tells the story of the rich Count Almaviva and his efforts to seduce the beautiful Rosina, who is imprisoned by her guardian, Doctor Bartolo. Rosina is entertained by Almaviva’s various disguises in his attempts to fool Bartolo and free Rosina from captivity, with the help of his friend Figaro, the local barber. It is one of the best-known and most performed comic operas, with instantly recognizable arias like Figaro’s “Largo al factotum della città.”

The mainstage singers of the Hubbard Hall Opera Theater’s summer festival perform selections from the opera, accompanied by piano, in the Clark’s intimate and acoustically resonant auditorium. Patrick McNally of Newton, Massachusetts will perform the role of Figaro, while Abigail Levis, whomThe New York Times praised for her “lithe” voice, will sing the part of Rosina. Veteran soprano Anneliese Von Goerken, whom Charles Riecker of the Metropolitan Opera praised for her “shimmering” voice and extraordinary stage presence, will sing the part of Berta, Bartolo’s housekeeper.

The Hubbard Hall Opera Theater is a non-profit arts center that showcases a variety of arts productions in a historic 1878 opera house. Seeking to build rural audiences for opera with affordable, high-quality productions, Hubbard Hall’s resident opera troupe combines experienced performers with young artists in order to help perfect the younger singers’ techniques.

About the Clark

Set amidst 140 acres in the Berkshires, the Clark is one of the few major art museums that also serves as a leading international center for research and scholarship. The Clark presents public and education programs and organizes groundbreaking exhibitions that advance new scholarship. The Clark’s research and academic programs include an international fellowship program and conferences. Together with Williams College, the Clark sponsors one of the nation’s leading master’s programs in art history. The Clark receives support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

The Clark is located at 225 South Street in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The galleries are open daily in July and August (open Tuesday through Sunday from September through June), 10 am to 5 pm. Admission is $15 June 1 through October 31; free November through May; and free year-round for Clark members, children 18 and younger, and students with valid ID. For more information, visitclarkart.edu or call 413 458 2303. The Clark’s library is closed for renovation through September 3, 2013.

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