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Puccini's
Madame Butterfly
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Bizet's
Carmen
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Gounot's
Faust
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We are sad to announce that
BENJAMIN MATTHEWS, CO-FOUNDER AND ARTISTIC
DIRECTOR OF
OPERA EBONY, DIES
AT 72
Celebrated bass-baritone Benjamin Matthews died Tuesday, February 14, 2006 after
a lengthy illness. He performed in
the most prestigious concert halls across the United
States and around the world. A native of Mobile,
Alabama, Matthews received his early
musical training at the Chicago Conservatory and his operatic training
under Boris Goldovsky. His
powerfully rich voice as well as his brilliance as an actor soon thrust him
into the spotlight. His singing has
been called “glorious” by Alan Rich of the New York
Magazine. Mr. Matthews has an
impressive list of operatic credits in the United
States and abroad. He has appeared with the New York City
Opera, The Graz Opera in Austria,
Opera Ebony, the Philadelphia Grand Opera, The Milwaukee Florentine Opera,
and the Metropolitan Opera Company’s “Mini-Met”, in a
variety of diverse roles from Porgy in Porgy
and Bess and Mephistopheles in Gounod’s Faust, to Prince Intel in Kirchner’s Lily. Opera News said,
“Benjamin Matthews’ Mephistopheles was all-pervading, sweeping
in stride and gesture.” The
New York Times raved, “A commanding, authoritative performance by
Benjamin Matthews as the prophet sparked Elijah at Avery Fisher Hall…the dramatic sound of
Matthews’ bass-baritone really supplied the electricity to bring the
whole show to life.”
Some major orchestras with which Benjamin Matthews has
performed include the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago, Baltimore,
Detroit and Milwaukee Symphonies, the Buffalo Philharmonic, the Brabants
Orchestra (Holland), L’Orchestre Symphonique de Quebec, and the
Norrkoprings and Orebro Orchestras in Sweden.
Matthews’ performances have been called,
“extraordinary,” and his brilliance was always reflected in
audience ovations and critics comments.
Mr. Matthews was regarded as one of the foremost
interpreters of African-American spirituals, work songs and American Creole
songs on the concert stage today.
His expertise in the performance of this repertoire has endeared him
to audiences worldwide. He was
frequently engaged across the United States
and in many major capitols in South America as
recitalist, lecturer and conductor of master-classes in the traditional
singing styles of this repertoire, as well as the standard vocal
literature. Mr. Matthews was
presented in his debut recital at Carnegie Hall by Four Seasons Concerts,
founded by Dr. W. Hazaiah Williams.
He was also presented annually as a guest artist with Four Seasons
Concerts in the San Francisco/Oakland Bay Area and the Yachats Music Festival
in Oregon for twenty years.
Since its inception three decades ago by Benjamin
Matthews, Wayne Sanders, and Sister Mary Elise S.B.S. in New
York City in November, 1973, Opera Ebony has
provided a unique opportunity for American artists to refine and develop
their talents in opera/musical theatre.
Opera Ebony is the longest surviving African-American opera company
in the history of the United States. The Company has established a national
and international reputation for the quality of its productions. Opera Ebony is recognized as a pioneer for
regularly featuring contemporary and commissioned works, operas by female
and minority composers, neglected or rarely performed works and innovative
productions of standard repertoire.
Opera Ebony productions are presented in some of the
finest venues New York City has to offer, including Lincoln Center,
Carnegie Hall, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Beacon Theatre, the Schomburg
Center for Research in Black Culture and the Metropolitan Museum of
Art. For ten years, the Company
presented grand opera at Philadelphia’s
Academy of Music
and was in residence at Aaron Davis Hall for the Performing Arts.
Internationally, Opera Ebony has performed with world
renowned orchestras and conductors.
The Company has toured in Brazil,
Martinique, Russia,
Estonia, Finland,
Canada, Switzerland,
France, Sweden
and Iceland. The legendary Marian Anderson was Opera
Ebony’s first fundraising chairperson. George Shirley and the late William
Warfield served as board members and/or guest artists. World-famous operatic stars who have
given their support include Jessye Norman, Kathleen Battle, Martina Arroyo,
Hilda Harris and Florence Quivar, along with stage, television and screen
star, Phylicia Rashad.
Mr. Matthews is survived by a son, Derrick, four
sisters, Juanita, Catherine, Stella, and Willie Alice, two brothers, Willie
and Wesley, two granddaughters, India and Rosalind and a host of other
relatives and friends.
2006 EVENTS
Black Opera & Spirituals Concert:
A Legacy of Heroes
& Heroines
Celebrating the Life and heritage
of
Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr.
Good
Shepherd-Faith Presbyterian Church
152 West 66th
Street, New York, N.Y.
Monday, January 16, 2006 @ 2:00pm
Adm.$20.00 (Discount for seniors and children)
Reservations:
212-877-2110
Or email us
at: info@operaebony.org
Opera Ebony Spirituals
The New York Historical
Society
“Slavery
in New York” Exhibition
The New York Historical
Society
170 Central Park West, New York, N.Y.
Sunday, February 12, 2006 @ 2:00pm & 4:00pm
Entrance
Contribution: $10.00
OPERA
EBONY founders Benjamin Matthews and Wayne Sanders
were honored by the NATIONAL OPERA
ASSOCIATION at The Golden Anniversary
Banquet.
They were presented with The 10th
Annual “Lift Every Voice” Legacy Awards along with Raoul Abdul. Also awarded were Beverly Sills, Phyllis
Curtain, and Joseph Volpe, receiving the 2005 NOA Lifetime Achievement
Awards.
OPERA EBONY EXPANDING: PRESENTATIONS OF HARRIET TUBMAN IN ROCHESTER, NY. In celebration of Women's
History Month, Opera Ebony is participating with several leading Rochester, area institutions in a major
multi-community project entitled, Race & Reconciliation. The
growing list of partners, sponsors and co-presenters includes Eastman
Kodak, St. Paul's Episcopal Church of
Rochester, Rochester Office of The Mayor, Bill Johnson, The Rochester
Museum and Science Center, Rochester Opera Theater, The
Hochstein School of Music and the Board of Education for the City of Rochester.
GREAT PERFORMANCES,
NATIONAL PUBLIC TELEVISION. Opera Ebony featured on the world premiere
broadcast of AIDA'S BROTHERS AND SISTERS: Black
Voices in Opera - This timely and enlightening documentary is an
inspiring look at the history and careers of African-Americans in opera
from such pioneers, as Marian Anderson and Paul Robeson, through
contemporary superstars Jessye Norman, Shirley Verrett and Simon Estes. The
program will also include members of Opera Ebony in performance and
engaging conversation.
OPERA
TAKES THE 'A' TRAIN
TO BE FEATURED ON THE CONCERTS & LECTURES SERIES AT THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM. The Metropolitan Museum of
Art, the largest, most comprehensive art museum in the western hemisphere,
and Opera Ebony, the longest surviving African-American opera company in
American history, will partner to present Opera Ebony's sensational touring
show, Opera Takes The 'A' Train - Opera & All That Jazz. This presentation of exciting and joyous
of Opera, Broadway and American Popular Music available to church groups,
sororities, colleges and other presenters for there musical series in New
York and surrounding north eastern states.
OPERA EBONY
CO-PRODUCES EDUCATIONAL VIDEO FUNDED BY THE BAYER FOUNDATION. Opera Ebony
partners with Mind Over Media of Pittsburgh, PA to produce special
educational video designed for school children in the Pittsburgh school system. The video,
entitled "I Too Can Be - An Opera Singer, A Stage Director, A
Conductor, A Set Designer” was filmed at the Langston Hughes Theatre
in Harlem and features around Opera
Ebony and its young artists.
OPERA EBONY, SIDNEY
POIRTIER, EARTHA KITT AND OTHERS HONORED IN HARLEM. Opera Ebony, along with a
cavalcade of film, television and stage stars including Sidney Poirtier,
Eartha Kitt, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Roberta Flack,
Jasmine Guy and others, gather for A Salute to
Black Broadway at the Langston Hughes Theatre in New York City.
OPERA EBONY ANNOUNCES
MUSICAL RELEASES ON RECORDING LABEL. Ebony Classic
Recordings ("ECR") will
exclusively release music from Opera Ebony’s vast catalogue of studio
and live recordings. ECR releases will
represent a wide range of historically important and commercially popular
Opera, Broadway and Spiritual recordings of unprecedented dimensions.
OPERA EBONY PERFORMS
FOR DAVID ROCKEFELLER, JR. Opera
Ebony was selected to perform at tribute honoring David Rockefeller, Jr.
for his contributions to the arts and education. World Trade Center, New York, NY.
SAVANNAH MUSIC FESTIVAL
Opera Ebony Artistic Director, Benjamin Matthews' appearance with the
touring show THREE GENERATIONS hailed as
"Stupendous!", "Rousing", "Inspired", and
"Majestic". Gene Downs, Savannah Morning Star. Savannah, GA.
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