Five voices transport Porter Library audience

CIM students Coraine Tate, Jennifer Robble, Daniel Fridley, Renee Richardson and Caroline Bergan enjoy their audience’s enthusiastic applause. Photo by Maria Fesz

At the FYI: Opera program at Westlake Porter Public Library on March 28, five Cleveland Institute of Music voice students did a wonderful job transporting the audience to different worlds in the opera scenes they performed.  Their voices were enhanced by the vocalists’ exceptional acting, especially in scenes with more than one person.

Daniel Fridley had great fun as Don Giovanni’s servant listing all the girls Don Giovanni had “conquered” in his book. Renée Richardson’s powerhouse of a voice gave Margarita’s torment extra emotion in a selection from "Mephistopholes." Coraine Tate wonderfully captured Gershwin’s bluesy jazz style in “My Man’s Gone Now” from "Porgy and Bess." Jennifer Robbel reprised her role as the maid Despina from "Cosi fan Tutte" with a delightfully fun aria. Caroline Bergan’s emotion, coupled with her vocal control and dynamics in her aria, captivated the audience during her aria as Micaëla from "Carmen."

John Simmons, CIM’s Scenes music director, provided perfect piano accompaniment for the young artists. CIM Opera’s artistic director David Bamberger’s narration framed each scene, imparting knowledge and drawing smiles.

The FYI: Opera program, which was described as “fabulous” by one attendee, was presented free to the public by the Westlake Westshore Arts Council.

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Volume 9, Issue 7, Posted 9:16 AM, 04.04.2017