New Haven, CT February 10, 2011: From nimble footed dancers to that charmer Danny Boy, let the New Haven Symphony Orchestra (NHSO) Pops! transport you to the magical land of Éire. Join the NHSO Pops! and Associate Conductor Gerald Steichen for Celtic Dreams, Saturday, March 12, 2:30pm, at Hamden Middle School and Sunday, March 13, 3:00pm at Shelton Intermediate School.
Musical guests include tenor William Ferguson, Irish mezzo-soprano Paula Murrihy and Irish step dancing from the Pender-Keady Academy of Irish Dance. On the program such favorites as The Salley Gardens, When Irish Eyes are Smiling, Danny Boy and Rakes of Mallow from The Quiet Man.
Acclaimed for his versatility in both opera and concert, tenor William Ferguson made his debut with the Santa Fe Opera in 2006 as Caliban in the North American premiere of Thomas Adès’ The Tempest, and in 2005, he bowed in Sydney with Opera Australia singing Truffaldino in a new production of The Love for Three Oranges. The same year, Ferguson joined the roster of The Metropolitan Opera where he has performed Beppe in I Pagliacci as well as roles in Le Nozze di Figaro and The Magic Flute (under the baton of James Levine). Ferguson has been hailed by Opera News as a performer “with grace, and striking self-possession.”
Mezzo-Soprano Paula Murrihy has appeared at London’s Royal Opera House, the Teatro Comunale in Bologna, Santa Fe Opera, and Opera Boston. She has sung roles ranging from the Dido in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas and the title role in Handel’s Ariodante to Mercedes in Carmen. Recently she joined Oper Frankfurt as a member of their ensemble, where her roles have included Dorabella in Cosi fan Tutte, Medoro in Vivaldi’s Orlando Furioso, and Scipio in Glanert’s Caligula.
The Pender-Keady Academy of Irish Dance, headquartered in Stamford, was founded in 1999 with 20 aspiring dancers and since then has increased its enrollment to 200 students. Its founders seek to share their knowledge and experience in the art of Irish step dancing with their students while encouraging them to work hard and have fun. Erin Pender-LeVine and Kathleen Keady, the co-directors of the Academy, were themselves first place regional and North American champions as well as in the top three at the World Championships. In addition, both women performed in the Broadway cast of Riverdance; Kathleen also performed in the original cast of Lord of the Dance.
Celtic Dreams is made possible in part by the generous support of Whitney Center, Newtown Savings Bank, and R.D. Scinto.
