Seattle Opera’s Young Artists bring Tchaikovsky Opera to Orcas

Orcas Center presents one performance only of “Tatyana’s Letter,” lyrical scenes from Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin,” presented by Seattle Opera’s Young Artists Program. “This passionate opera is a hothouse tale of love, set to achingly beautiful music,” says the Center’s Executive Director, Barbara Courtney.

The performance is on Saturday, Nov. 8 at 7:30 p.m. and will be preceded at 6:30 p.m. by a pre-performance lecture in the Madrona Room.

“Eugene Onegin” is Tchaikovsky’s poignant and moving musical version of Alexander Pushkin’s famous narrative poem. In this adaptation from the full opera, “Tatyana’s Letter” follows a handsome visitor from the big city who sends a young girl’s heart and soul into high gear.

The singers in Seattle Opera’s Young Artists Program are hand-picked among the most talented emerging opera artists in the country and spend 20 weeks honing their performance skills under the artistic direction of Peter Kazaras. At the culmination of the program, each Young Artist performs a complete role in a fully produced opera with orchestra. While on tour, as when they come to Orcas Island, they perform the opera with piano accompaniment. Orcas audiences have been exposed to past Young Artists, most recently last year when they performed two one-act operas by Bernstein and Donizetti.

The pre-performance lecture will be delivered by Peter Kazaras, artistic director of the Young Artists Program. Kazaras is a seasoned operatic tenor, director and teacher.

Tickets are $20, $16 for Orcas Center members and $10 for students. The pre-performance lecture is free and open to the public. For more information or to purchase tickets, go to www.orcascenter.org or call 376-2281 ext 1 or visit the Orcas Center during box office hours, Thursday-Saturday, noon to 4 p.m.

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