Meet the Protagonists
LA BOHEME | OPERA - 20 APRIL 2024
David Junghoon Kim
David Junghoon Kim is an alumnus of the Jette Parker Young Artist Programme, and the winner of the much-coveted Francisco Viñas, Voci Verdiane and Toulouse singing competitions.
Since his graduation from the Jette Parker Young Artist Programme in 2017, he has made a series of notables debuts and appearances: Alfredo La Traviata in a new production in Cologne; Macduff Macbeth at the ROH; Roméo Roméo et Juliette at Grange Park Opera; and Leone de Casaldi in concert performances of the world premiere of Donizetti’s L’ange de Nisida with Sir Mark Elder at the ROH, recorded and later released by Opera Rara.
In the 2019/20 Season, he made company debuts with WNO as Duke of Mantua Rigoletto as part of their UK tour and sings Rodolfo La bohème with the National Theatre Opera, Prague. Recent highlights include his house debuts as Macduff Macbeth (Opernhaus Zürich), Rodolfo La bohème (Oper Stuttgart) and Italian Singer Der Rosenkavalier (Teatro Municipal de Santiago).
Federica Vitali
Born in Busto Arsizio, she began studying singing with the baritone and pianist Davide Rocca, then perfecting herself with Giuseppe Sabbatini, Alessandra Althoff-Pugliese, Montserrat Caballè, Alberto Gazale, Elena Lo Forte, Piero Giuliacci, Nicola Martinucci, Elisabetta BaIaglia. In 2016 she debuted the role of Amalia in I Masnadieri for the Verdi Festival in Parma at the Teatro di Busseto under the direction of Leo Muscato and under the direction of Simon Krecic, she sang MuseIa in La Bohème in AsLiCo, she debuted the role of Micaëla in Carmen at the Fortress Munot Festival in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. She sang in Aida and as Liù in Turandot at the Sferisterio in Macerata, Amalia in I Masnadieri at the ABAO-OLBE in Bilbao, Cio Cio San in Madama Butterfly for the Carlo Felice Theatre in Genoa and at the Verdi Theatre in Trieste, in Le Trouvere al Teatro Regio
di Parma, Les contes d’Hoffmann at the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples, Micaëla in Carmen at the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, the soprano soloist in G. Verdi’s Requiem for the Sacrum Festival. Among the next engagements will be Desdemona in Otello by G. Verdi at the Teatro Comunale in Bologna, Musetta in La Bohème at the Teatro Verdi in Trieste and Carmen at the Teatro di Sassari.
Vitali comes fresh from an outstanding success in her Malta debut at the same Aurora Opera House last October (2023) as Cio-Cio-San in Madama Butterfly.
Yuri Yurchuk
British-Ukrainian baritone Yuriy Yurchuk is the Royal Opera House principal artist, described by The Times as “the finest voice on stage, with the immaculate Italianate line” and “rich, deep voice capable of great versatility” by Bachtrack.
Yuriy is a prize winner in Queen Sonja International Singing Competition (Norway), Montserrat Caballe International Singing Competition (Spain), Ottavio Ziino International Singing Competition (Rome), Monastero Foundation Bel Canto competition (USA), Fritz and Lavinia Jensen competition (USA) and Chicago NATS vocal competition. His other appearances include the King of Egypt in Verdi’s Aida excerpt in tribute to Martina Arroyo at 36th Kennedy Center Honors Awards in Washington DC, concerts for the Royal family at the Buckingham and Windsor palaces, appearances for BBC TV series and BBC radio 3 Sean Rafferty’s In Tune
Together with Anush Hovanissyan and Sergei Rybin, Yuriy has recorded the collection of Rimsky-Korsakov romances for Stone Records where his “wonderful legato and superb Russian delivery that make this collection irresistible” according to the Sunday Times.
Nicola Said
Maltese Soprano, Malta Airport Foundation Ambassador and BOV Joseph Calleja Foundation Scholar, Nicola Said has an active international career on the operatic and concert stage. She performs frequently in her native country and throughout Europe, UK, USA, and the Middle East for top official delegate events.
Nicola recently performed in the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra‘s Summer Festival alongside Tenor Vittorio Grigolo. She has debuted the role of Mimì La Bohème with Instant Opera in Normansfield Theatre London, and made her operatic film debut as Madeline in Blat – The Island Fortress, the second opera in the first ever Maltese opera cycle Belt il-Bniedem (City of Humanity) composed by Reuben Pace. Nicola also premiered the role of Maria in Pace’s first opera of the cycle Swar, performed as part of the Valletta 2018 European Capital of Culture.
Nicola sung the title role in Lucia di Lammermoor (Festival Lyrique-en-Mer), covered the role of Nannetta in Falstaff (The Grange Festival), and Hlas Jenufa (Grange Park Opera). She reprised the role of Lucia in a revival of Fulham Opera’s production with Grimeborn at the Arcola Theatre in 2018. Other roles include Adele Die Fledermaus (Lyric Opera Studio Weimar), Adina Elixir of Love (New Sussex Opera), Blondchen Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Warsaw Chamber Opera), Zerlina Don Giovanni (Teatru Manoel), Queen of the Night The Magic Flute (Charles Court Opera), Zerbinetta Ariadne auf Naxos (Opera Project/West Green House Opera). She has also performed the title role in Ariane, Lucia The Rape of Lucretia and Rosaura Le Donne Curiose (Guildhall Opera), Barbarina Le Nozze di Figaro, La Fée Cendrillon, and Olympia Les Contes d’Hoffman (CSULB Opera).
Nicola has performed in Cadogan Hall, St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Barbican Hall, St. John’s Smith Square, Garrick Club, and at the Royal Opera House as Echo in Laurence Osborne’s opera Narkissus and the Reflektions. Nicola has recorded and premiered Paul Carroll’s works at Abbey Road Studios with the Commonwealth Orchestra and has given recitals for HRH The Earl of Wessex in a Duke of Edinburgh event and at Kensington and Palace and St. James’s Palace. Other performances include Three Palaces Festival, Barrandov Opera, and the President’s New Year’s Concert with Malta Philharmonic Orchestra.
Costantino Finucci
coming soon.
Romano dal Zovo
coming soon.
Alessandro Busi
coming soon.
Stanley Joe Portelli
coming soon.
Malta Philharmonic Orchestra
The Malta Philharmonic Orchestra is recognized as Malta’s foremost musical institution. The orchestra was founded in April 1968, when musicians from the defunct “Commander-in-Chief” (C-in-C) orchestra of the Malta-based British Mediterranean Fleet regrouped as the Manoel Theatre Orchestra. It continued to serve as the theatre’s resident orchestra until September 1997, when it became an independent orchestra, taking up the name National Orchestra of Malta. The orchestra became the MPO in 2008 when it expanded into a full-size symphony orchestra, bringing together the best of Maltese talent and musicians from Europe and beyond.
Joseph Sammut, the C-in-C’s last conductor, was the orchestra’s first conductor, remaining at the helm until 1992. Since then, the orchestra has also been under the direction of Joseph Vella, John Galea, Michael Laus, and Brian Schembri. In 2019, the MPO has appointed Sergey Smbatyan as Principal Conductor, joining Resident Conductor Michael Laus as part of the orchestra’s Artistic Team. The MPO also works with local and international guest conductors and soloists including Lawrence Renes, Michalis Economou, Guy Braunstein, Alexei Volodin, Camilla Tilling, Joseph Calleja, and Enrico Dindo.
As Malta’s leading musical ensemble, the MPO averages more than one performance a week including symphonic concerts, opera productions in Malta and Gozo, community outreach and educational initiatives, as well as various concerts of a lighter nature. The orchestra has performed in leading venues across the globe, including in the United States, Russia, Germany, Austria, China, Italy, and Belgium, and presently embarks on at least one international tour each concert season.
The MPO is a keen exponent of Maltese composers, regularly performing their works in Malta and overseas, as well as frequently premiering and commissioning new compositions.
Colin Attard
Colin Attard, “is a familiar figure on the local music scene. His energy is as boundless and dynamic as his hair, and I know few local musicians who are as energetic as he is” (Albert Storace, The Sunday Times of Malta, 03/03/2014).
Born in 1962 in a highly musical family from Victoria, Gozo, inevitably, Attard grew up in a rather musical environment. He advanced musical studies under the tuition of his late uncle, Prof. Joseph Vella. Indeed, his artistic development and creative impulse were very much moulded within the parameters of his native Gozo – with a necessary corollary being versatility and pragmatism. In turn, he has been a key player in the development and promotion of Gozitan culture, crucially contributing to the revitalisation of its concert activity ever since becoming musically very active in the early 1980’s.
In 1990 he officially founded the Gaulitanus Choir, Gozo’s first unaffiliated choir. Contemporarily, he also first became associated with the Teatru tal-Opra Aurora and its parent organisation, the Leone Philharmonic Society, being appointed resident conductor in 1991. Aware of the constant need to keep up with change, he has been at the front in drifting away from the ubiquitous, tried-and-tested music, thus presenting contemporary, challenging and rather ‘unfamiliar’ classics as well as more trendy, popular music.
Yet, Attard is perhaps more widely known as a pivotal personality in Gozitan operatic productions in which he is not just the man behind the baton but also extensively involved in their organisation, besides doubling as choir master. Colin Attard remains a very proud Gozitan in heart, giving his all to further develop Gozo’s high-quality cultural programme and to enhance Gozo’s image as “an island of culture”.
Cast
DAVID JUNGHOON KIM
Rodolfo, a poet
FEDERICA VITALI
Mimì, a seamstress
YURI YURCHUK
Marcello, a painter
NICOLA SAID
Musetta, a singer
COSTANTINO FINUCCI
Schaunard, a musician
ROMANO DAL ZOVO
Colline, a philosopher
ALESSANDRO BUSI
Benoit, the landlord / Alcindoro, a state counsellor
STANLEY JOE PORTELLI
Parpignol, a toy vendor
Programme
SINGLE PERFORMANCE
Saturday 20th April 2024
Starting at: 1930hrs
Doors open at: 1845hrs
APPROXIMATE RUNNING TIMES
Acts 1 & 2 – 65 minutes
35 minute interval
Acts 3 & 4 – 60 minutes
LANGUAGE
Sung in Italian with English surtitles