Members of the Western New York Chamber Orchestra.
Eleven SUNY Fredonia vocalists will be featured in a presentation of one of the world’s most beloved operas.
The Western New York Chamber Orchestra in conjunction with the Hillman Opera, presents Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro” (The Marriage of Figaro) on Saturday, Feb. 14 at 3 p.m. in the Harry A. King Concert Hall at SUNY Fredonia.
General admission tickets are available online, by phone at (716) 673-3501 on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and at the door the day of the event.
“This performance of Mozart's ‘The Marriage of Figaro’ is the continuation of many wonderful years of operatic collaboration between WNYCO and the Hillman Opera,” said Don Marazzo, Hillman Opera producer. “Initiated by [Artistic Director and Conductor] Glen Cortese and Hillman Opera’s longtime and distinguished former producer, Julie Newell, these collaborations — which can range from scenes of operatic repertoire to concert versions of full operas, to world premieres of new operas.”
Mr. Marazzo said the collaborations provide Fredonia students with “invaluable opportunities to learn, perform, and grow from working with Maestro Cortese and the WNYCO, which is a wonderful professional chamber orchestra.”
The student cast for the production includes:
- Jackson Kelly (Figaro), a junior from Amherst, NY, who is pursuing a Bachelor of Music degree with double majors in Voice Performance and Music Education.
- Mia Sorgi (Susanna), a junior from Hamburg, NY, who is pursuing a Bachelor of Music with double majors in Voice Performance and Music Education.
- Gabrielle Gance (Countess), a graduate student from Endicott, NY, who is pursuing a master’s degree in Voice Performance.
- Dominic Townsend (Count), a senior from Youngstown, NY, who is pursuing a Bachelor of Music degree with a major in Voice Performance.
- Danai Kalpaki (Cherubino), a graduate student from Corfu, Greece, who pursuing a master’s degree in Voice Performance.
- Kaitlin Owen (Marcellina), a senior from Floral Park, NY, who is pursuing a Bachelor of Music degree with double majors in Music Education and Voice Performance.
- Carter Converse (Bartolo), a senior from North Tonawanda, NY, who is pursuing a dual degree in Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Music Industry and Bachelor of Arts degree in Music with a concentration in Voice.
- Adrian Otero (Antonio), a senior from Wheatley Heights, NY, who is pursuing a Bachelor of Music degree with double majors in Music Education and Voice Performance.
- Andrew George (Don Basilio), a graduate student from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, who is pursuing a master’s degree in Voice Performance.
- Zachary Formhals (Don Curzio), a junior from Mastic Beach, NY, who is pursuing a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education.
- Lauren Shilansky (Barbarina), a senior from West Hartford, CT; who is pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Musical Theatre.
Mozart wrote “Le Nozze di Figaro” in six weeks and its debut came in Vienna in 1786. Subtitled “A Day of Follies,” the libretto is based Beaumarchais’ 1784 comedy “The Mad Day.” It follows the events on the wedding day of Figaro and Susanna.
“‘The Marriage of Figaro’ is not only timeless because of Mozart’s extraordinary music and Da Ponte’s sparkling libretto, but also because it explores extremely relatable human experiences including love, jealousy, forgiveness, and social hierarchies,” Marazzo said. “This relatability is what makes ‘The Marriage of Figaro’ a perpetually relevant masterpiece and a must-see for audiences.”
The WNYCO Classics Series Event is presented as part of the 2025-26 Lake Shore Bank Season at Rockefeller Arts Center.
WNYCO is an ensemble-in-residence at the Fredonia School of Music. The orchestra is comprised of professional musicians from throughout western New York and northwest Pennsylvania.
The Hillman Opera is a project of the Fredonia School of Music in collaboration with the Department of Theatre and Dance under the auspices of the Hillman Memorial Musical Association. For more than 60 years, the Hillman Opera has provided one of the only full opera opportunities for undergraduate singers in the country.
