History
OPERA OF THE
HAMPTONS
is a
New York State non-profit corporation , incorporated in the Spring of
1992 as a regional opera company , to bring opera to the East End of
Suffolk County, extending to both the North and South Forks.
The
Corporation and its goals have been certified by the New York State
Attorney General's Office and the New York State Education Department.
The goals of
our company is to enhance the cultural life of diverse communities on
the East End in both the quiet of the winter months and the frenzy of
the summer season. Opera of the Hamptons has provided extraordinary
performances, concerts, musicales and opera galas throughout the
Hamptons and North Fork.
To date,
there have been over two-hundred performances on the East End, from
Water Mill to Peconic, Westhampton Beach to Southampton, and even back
west at Hofstra University for their Italian-American and Dutch Colonial
Festivals.
Opera
of the Hamptons
is recognized everywhere for its professionalism. There are standing
ovations and bravos, whether it's under the stars, at the enchanting
Pindar Vineyards Pavilion, or at the marvelous Westhampton Beach
Performing Arts Center, on the magnificent grounds of the Siena
Spirituality Center at Villa Maria, the wonderful Castello di Borghese
Vineyard &Winery and the beautiful Field House at the Hampton Day
School.
Through the
years, performances were held at the prestigious John Drew Theater at
Guild Hall of East Hampton, the landmark Vail Leavitt Music Hall, at
both Duck Walk South and Duck Walk North Vineyards, and the Levitas
Center for the Arts at the Southampton Cultural Center.
During
1994-1995, a two-year collaborative program "Introduction to Opera"
was sponsored by a BOCES Arts and Education
program, bringing together Opera of the Hamptons and the students of the
Southhampton School District. The project benefited all students,
providing knowledge of music, culture, and history, which evolved
through workshops in a theater environment.
This program
marked the beginning of a liaison with the Southhampton School District.
Opera residcncy programs, and the participation of the students and
professional artists, side by side, in productions of Verdi's "AIDA',
Menotti's 'AMAHL AND THE NIGHT VISITORS", Humperdinck's "HANSEL
AND GRETEL', fulfill the educational aspects of the company's
charter.
A series of
lectures entitled "WHAT IS OPERA?" were given in conjunction
with The Rogers Memorial Library in Southampton and also, through the
auspices of the Parent-Teachers Association, for the Westhampton Beach
Schools. The "Franco Gentilesca Young Artist Program"
has been incorporated into productions and each year outstanding artists
and students are given awards and the opportunity to perform in a
professional milieu.
Opera
of the Hamptons
looks forward to exciting educational ventures that introduce the noble
art form of opera to our youth, as well as performances everywhere,
which enliven, enrich and bring to the community the wonderful world of
opera.
Opera of the Hamptons
is the recipient of financial grants from the following agencies:
Office of Film and Cultural Affairs
The New York State Council on the Arts is
a state agency dedicated to the funding and promoting of all the arts as
an intrinsic part of the heritage and lives of the citizens of the
state.
Bridgehampton Bank
North Fork Bank
Suffolk County Bank
WE WELCOME THE PARTICIPATION
AND THE SUPPORT OF THE EAST END COMMUNITY
By Active Work On Committees.
Financial Support Through Annual Donations.
In Sponsorship, Underwriting of Productions and New Venues.
Executive Bios
Barbara Giancola
(Artistic Director)
~
Atarah Hazzan
(Music Director)
An accomplished
musician, pianist and conductor, Atarah Hazzan began her private
studies at age 8. At age 13 she was accepted into piano competitions
alongside professional pianists in career. At age 17 she was accepted
into Brandeis University Music Department and was expected to follow a
career as a concert pianist. She finished her music studies at the New
York University School of Music Department, while noticing that an
exceptionally fine vocal instrument was also emerging. A two-fold
career began, and Atarah continued her piano as a coach and
accompanist primarily to opera singers, with recommendations from such
notable coaches as Joan Dornemann, and others. Simultaneously,
Atarah’s vocal career started to emerge, and she formed a highly
successful singing duo with her husband, appearing alongside such
famous performers as Jackie Mason and others. Shortly, opportunities
in the classical concert and operatic fields began to present
themselves- and after a major success in New York’s Town Hall,
followed by rave reviews in all the New- York papers, Atarah was
invited to join the Metropolitan Opera Company in the Italian wing as
Principal Artist. Her debut there was as Elizabetta in Verdi’s Don
Carlos, with Marilyn Horne as Princess Eboli, James Levine
conducting. This was followed by opening the season in Rome’s Teatro
dell’Opera in the title role of Mascagni’s Parisina, an honor
which had never been bestowed upon an American singer. Other roles
sung at the Met were Desdemona in Othello, Marie in Wozzeck,
Leonora in Il Trovatore. Interestingly, the Met asked her
to step in for Caballe’s opening night Tosca, and Shirley
Verrett’s opening night Norma. The critics have said of her
“About once in a generation a soprano comes along who has all of the
natural attributes of a great dramatic soprano—a voice of exquisite
beauty and seemingly unlimited power, the ability to soar above an
orchestra in full cry, a sense of phrasing that requires no movements
or gestures to underline the content of the music and text, and an
extraordinary rapport with operatic music.” Currently, Atarah is a
prominent voice teacher and coach in Manhattan with students traveling
from all over the United States, Canada and Europe. This is her
twelfth season as conductor, music director, rehearsal coach and
performance pianist with Opera of the Hamptons. The critics continue
to rave about her playing and her amazing ability as a director to
take each and every cast to the ultimate, and even beyond the ultimate
of their apparent abilities both as individual artists and as an
ensemble: “prodigious….played with wonderful sensitivity to a singer’s
phrasing and an unerring sense of musical drama”. Additionally, as
pianist, Ms. Hazzan appeared last year in chamber music ensemble with
the Viola Society of New York and recently in piano recital as soloist
in New York’s Steinway Hall. Opera of the Hamptons is indeed honored
to have the esteemed Ms. Hazzan as its Music Director and Conductor
and looks forward to a continued, long and highly inspired
collaboration
Martha
Scriven-Campanella
Martha Scriven-Campanella
is a member of the Board of Directors of Opera of the Hamptons, a
founding member and Administrative Director of Opera of the Hamptons.
Ms. Campanella, previously a resident of New York City, was teaching
for the NYC Board of Education, and then went on to the UFT Teacher
Center Program as a Master Teacher, and Adjunct Professor in Teacher
Education at Fordham University and Brooklyn College.
She came out to
Southampton in 1965 and built her first home on the East End in
Southampton in 1967. Upon retiring, she became a permanent resident
of Southampton and became involved in politics and in the East End
community.
Martha was Membership Chairman of the
Hampton Bays Women Republican Volunteers. She is a member of the
Southampton Study Club, Eastern Suffolk; Duplicate Bridge Group; Old
Towne Garden Club; Rogers Memorial Library, Monday P.M. Library Book
Group; a member of Hampton Bays Book Club and the Southampton Artists
Association. As a member of the Southampton Rose Society, in their
First Annual Art Contest in June 2006, Martha won First Prize.
As an artist she opened
the Marant Stained Glass Studio on Fifth Avenue In Pelham, New York.
As owner and manager, she specialized in Commercial Design and sale of
stained glass works, repair, demonstrations and classes.
Her art training is in Water Color Painting and she has
been involved in the Art Students League, New York City; Armory Art,
West Palm Beach, Florida; Lighthouse Center for the Arts, Tequesta,
Florida; and the East End Council for the Arts, Riverhead, New York.
Ms. Campanella is married
to Frank Campanella with three married children and eight
grandchildren.
Margaret Julian
(Administrative Director)
Margaret Julian
is a member of the Opera of the Hamptons Board of Directors. She also
is Co-ordinater of Public Relations information for the Opera Guild
through the Opera Journal, website queries, ticket sales, TV
advertisement and office management of the East End Location. She
comes to us with an Accountant degree as well as many years of
management.
With her own Web
business "sweatersbymaggie.com"
you can get hand knit baby sweaters and blankets. Her computer skills
has been a plus for the Opera Guild. Margaret has helped moved Opera
of the Hamptons into the Computer, Fax, Credit Card Age!
Guild
Members
Grace Bollo
Roy & Stella Bradbrook
Martha Campanella
Evelyn Carroll
Maryann & Cleve Christie
Cathy & Vincent Ciriello
Margaret Dwyer
Barbara & Michael Giancola
Linda & Bob Glinski
Margaret Julian
Janice & Al Junge
Dottie & James Macaluso
Marian Passidomo
John Sullivan
Cindy Willis
Production Staff
Stage Directors
~
Stage
Manager
Charles Bosselman
~
Video
Archivist/Photographer
Michelle Giancola
~
Production
Assistant/Supernumerary
Martin L. Young
Linda & Bob Glinski and Family
Charles Bosselman
(Stage Manager)
A
character singer of the first order and he has mesmerized audiences
with his outstanding ability. Bass-Baritone Charles Bosselman has sung
throughout the United States from Palm Beach Opera to San Diego Opera,
Hawaii Opera Theatre, the Metropolitan Opera Guild, Westchester Opera,
Knoxville Opera, Chattanooga Opera, among others. “Charles Bosselman’s
singing was impeccable, his acting superb in turn, elegant and
dignified resentful and angry and finally noble an expressive jewel
commanding vocal moments an excellent combination of acting and
singing”. Mr. Bosselman has performed numerous roles with Opera of the
Hamptons and is also Stage Manager for the company.
Michelle Giancola
(Video
Archivist/Photographer )
Michelle Giancola's career
began at the radio and television stations of WNYE. There she
developed such radio shows as The Other Half, a series of
programs that explored music styles ranging from classical to rap. She
also co-produced several television shows including one of the first
investigative reports on the crack epidemic. Since leaving WNYE,
Michelle produced the award winning independent feature Free
Floaters, award winning shorts What's Up & X-Philes
and worked as the line producer on the award winning Mexican
mocumentary Who the Hell Is Juliette? Her work on commercials,
music videos, public service announcements and documentaries spans
clients such as McDonalds, HBO, People Magazine, Advil, NY Lotto,
K-Mart, Latina Magazine, Chemical Bank, Giga Pets, Mariah Carey, Salt
N Pepper, Kid 'N Play, Skid Row, the BBC and the Community Food
Resource Center. The feature film Love Like Blood, her most
recent collaboration with director Steven Bozga is making the festival
rounds. Presently she is developing a series of storytelling
documentaries and writing her first novel: My Life as a Dog (so far).
Martin L. Young
(Production
Assistant/Supernumerary)
Martin Young, as a very
young man played the role of Maximillian in “The Sound of Music”;
Marly in “Scrooge”; and Bill Sikes in “Oliver”, in good company
indeed, with John and Nicky Turturro. He sang with the Vocal Ensemble
of South Windsor, Connecticut and his interest in the arts led him to
film. He is presently in the movie “Love Like Blood” and the
mockumentary “Naked and Laughing”. As a graphic designer, he has
co-developed websites for “X Philes”, “Firefly Rising”, “Saybelize”,
“Firelane Digital Ltd.” for “Love Like Blood”, and “Opera of the
Hamptons”. Martin has appeared in numerous productions with Opera of
the Hamptons.
Contact Information
For Tickets
and Further Information Please E-Mail or Call:
OPERA OF THE
HAMPTONS
P.O.
Box 1614
Southampton, New York 11969-1614
Phone and
Fax: 631.728.8804
E-mail:
Operaofthehamptons
