ASPEN MUSIC FESTIVAL AND SCHOOL’S THE MET: LIVE IN HD SERIES BEGINS WITH EUGENE ONEGIN

Aspen Music Festival and School News Release

PRESS CONTACTS  |  Janice Szabo, 970-205-5071, jszabo@aspenmusic.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 21, 2014

ASPEN MUSIC FESTIVAL AND SCHOOL’S THE MET: LIVE IN HD SERIES BEGINS WITH EUGENE ONEGIN

Series opens with a new production of Tchaikovsky’s romantic tragedy, starring Anna Netrebko, Mariusz Kwiecien, and Piotr Beczala

ASPEN, Colo. — The Aspen Music Festival and School opens its series of five hand-selected 2013-2014 season encore productions from The Met: Live in HD, on Thursday, January 30, in the comfort of Aspen’s Wheeler Opera House. The opening evening features a new production of Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin begins at 5:30 pm with gourmet refreshments available.

Acclaimed English director Deborah Warner’s new production of Onegin is conducted by Valery Gergiev and Anna Netrebko opens her third consecutive Met season in her company role debut as Tatiana, the naïve heroine from Pushkin’s classic novel. Mariusz Kwiecien portrays the self-confident title character, in a much-admired interpretation he has sung in many of the world’s leading opera houses, and Piotr Beczala reprises his acclaimed performance as Onegin’s friend-turned-rival, Lenski.

Reviewing Warner’s production, the Financial Times praised it and its star "The evening belonged to Netrebko, who reinforced the heroine's pathos with limpid tone, expressive point, dynamic sensitivity and unexpected restraint."

For tickets, call Aspen Show Tickets at (970) 920-5770 locally, or (866) 449-0464 toll free; tickets can also be purchased online at www.aspenshowtix.com or in person at the Wheeler Opera House box office from 11 am to 7 pm daily.

The Met: Live in HD series in Aspen is made possible by a special gift from the Mercedes T. Bass Charitable Corporation.

The Met: Live in HD series, produced in association with PBS and WNET.org, is seen on public television as part of Great Performances from the Met; a number of these performances are also seen on international television. It is the world’s leading provider of alternative cinema content, is now shown in more than 1,900 theaters in 64 countries, making the Met the only arts institution with an ongoing global art series of this scale. The Met was the first arts company to experiment as an alternative content provider, beginning on a modest scale in 2006. Since then, its program has grown every season, with more than 12 million tickets sold to date.

The Aspen Music Festival and School is America’s premier music festival, presenting more than 300 musical events during its summer season. The institution draws top classical musicians from around the world to this Colorado mountain retreat for an unparalleled combination of performances and music education. The AMFS added winter music events in 1993 upon the opening of Harris Concert Hall. More information can be found at 970-925-9042 or www.aspenmusicfestival.com. Dates for the festival’s 2014 summer season are June 26 through August 17.
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