Beautiful love stories, told through some of the most beloved opera music of all time, will unfold this weekend when the Parnassus Society presents “The World of Opera: Stories of Love” at a nearby Orange County theater facility.
The audience will enjoy performances by world-renowned artists, including mezzo-soprano Milena Kitic of Newport Beach.
The concert is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Sunday, February 16 at the Soka Performing Arts Center in Aliso Viejo. It is the perfect finale to Valentine’s weekend, with selections from romantic operas such as Madame Butterfly, Tosca and La Traviata sung by highly acclaimed performers.
According to her bio, Kitic has performed numerous roles with opera companies around the world over the past three decades. She is perhaps best known for her performance as the title role in the opera “Carmen,” which she has sung with opera companies in major venues around d the U.S. and Europe. She most recently performed the role several seasons ago with Pacific Symphony at Segerstrom Center for the Arts.
She has received numerous accolades for her performances, including the German Music Critic’s Award for “Performer of the Season” in 1998 and the Opera Pacific Guild’s “Diva of the Year” in 2005. The International Jeunesses Musicales Competition in Belgrade, Serbia, has established a special prize for “the best young mezzo-soprano” in Kitic’s name.
Her talent earned her the inaugural Artist-in-Residence Award given by Chapman University in Orange, where she is an adjunct professor and master class instructor. She also works closely with the Orange County School of the Arts, as well as many Universities and Music Organizations in Southern California.
Other performers on the program include tenor Bruce Sledge, soprano Julie Makerov, and Bass-Baritone Aaron Pendleton. Scott Dunn, Associate Conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, will lead the Parnassus Chamber Orchestra.
Two young artists from the Orange County School of the Arts and Dolora Zajick’s Institute for Young Dramatic Voices will also be showcased. Adding further visual excitement will be the Claudia de la Cruz Flamenco Dance Company.
General admission tickets are $25 to $50; seniors, students and active military are $15 to $25. Parking is free. Soka Performing Arts Center is located at 1 University Dr., in Aliso Viejo.
For more information and tickets, visit parnassussociety.org.
