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Brian Mulligan travels to London to perform Puccini’s first opera, Le Villi, in a concert staging with Opera Rara and the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Under the baton of Sir Mark Elder, the artistic director of Opera Rara, the Opera Rara Chorus and a sparkling roster of singers will showcase this enchanting work that is presented in its original one-act version.

The performance on November 21 will feature soprano Ermonela Jaho as Anna, and tenor Arsen Soghomonyan as Roberto. Mulligan sings the role of Guglielmo, the head forester and Anna’s father. Completing the program is Bizet’s L’Arlésienne Suite No. 1 and ballet music from Verdi’s Macbeth. In Autumn of 2019, Opera Rara will release a studio recording of this first performance of the new critical edition of Le Villi.

Opera Rara:

 The reconstruction of the original one-act version of Le Villi will give audiences the chance to hear Puccini’s first opera as it has not been heard for more than 120 years—since its first performances in May 1884. Soon after the work’s successful premiere at Milan’s Teatro dal Verme, Puccini, at Ricordi’s behest, set about revising the work, dividing it into two acts and adding a romanza for the soprano. This is the form in which the work has been performed ever since; the one-act version was never published, and remains unknown, but has just been made available in a new critical edition published by Ricordi.

 

 

Brian Mulligan begins his 2018/19 season with his highly anticipated debut as Mandryka in Strauss’ Arabella at the San Francisco Opera. The new production directed by Tim Albery takes this Viennese love story from the 1860s to World War I. Marc Albrecht, one of the leading Strauss interpreters, makes his United States opera debut conducting the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and Chorus, and an extraordinary roster of artists.

Running from October 16 to November 3, the cast features Ellie Dehn performing the title role for the first time, Heidi Stober as Zdenka, Daniel Johansson as Matteo, and Hye Jung Lee as the Fiakermilli. A co-production of the Santa Fe Opera, Minnesota Opera, and Canadian Opera Company, this production was featured as a top critics’ pick of 2017 with the New York Times acclaiming the production: “There’s such realism, clarity and compassion (to say nothing of beauty) in how the creators show Arabella’s maturation happening before your very eyes and ears; and vanishingly rare in opera is the formation of real, adult love.”

On October 13 at the Dianne and Tad Taube Atrium Theater, San Francisco Opera and San Francisco Opera Guild present an Insight Panel with Arabella cast members Ellie Dehn (Arabella), Heidi Stober (Zdenka) and Brian Mulligan (Mandryka) in discussion with San Francisco Opera Dramaturg Dr. Clifford “Kip” Cranna. Take a glimpse into the creative process as the panelists share their insights about the challenges and rewards of bringing Strauss’ romantic work to life. Tickets are available online at sfopera.com/insights.

This summer, Brian Mulligan makes two highly anticipated role debuts as Donner and Gunther in Wagner’s triumphant Ring Cycle at the San Francisco Opera. Francesca Zambello directs these groundbreaking productions with Donald Runnicles leading from the pit for all dates. Maestro Runnicles, who served as music director and principal conductor of the San Francisco Opera from 1992 to 2009, is regarded as a leading Wagnerian conductor and he led the company in two Ring cycles in 1990.

Mulligan begins singing Donner in Das Rheingold, the first of four operas that constitute Wagner’s Ring Cycle. With performances on June 12, 19, 26, Mulligan shares the stage with an esteemed group of colleagues, including Greer Grimsley as Wotan, Štefan Margita as Loge, Falk Struckmann as Alberich, Jamie Barton as Fricka, Ronnita Miller as Erda, David Cangelosi as Mime, Andrea Silvestrelli as Fasolt, Raymond Aceto as Fafner, and Brandon Jovanovich as Froh.

He then sings the role of Gunther in the final installment of the Ring, Wagner’s Götterdämmerung. Running June 17, 24 & July 1, Mulligan joins Iréne Theorin as Brünnhilde, Daniel Brenna as Siegfried, Andrea Silvestrelli as Hagen, Jamie Barton as Waltraute, Melissa Citro as Gutrune, Stacey Tappan as Woglinde, Lauren McNeese as Wellgunde, and Renée Tatum as Flosshilde onstage.

For more information and tickets to Wagner’s monumental Ring Cycle visit the San Francisco Opera website.

In his return to Opernhaus Zürich, Brian Mulligan stars as Sharpless in a new production of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly. Considered a staple in the operatic canon, this tragic story of clashing cultures and morality is highlighted by Puccini’s treasured score. Director Ted Huffman brings a subtle and straightforward production to Opernhaus Zürich with stage design by Michael Levine and ornate costuming by Annemarie Woods.

Daniele Rustioni leads the Philharmonia Zürich and Chor der Oper Zürich in performances beginning December 1 through 29. Mulligan shares the stage with a splendid cast, including Svetlana Aksenova as Cio-Cio-San, Judith Schmid as Suzuki, Saimir Pirgu as Pinkerton, Martyn Zysset as Goro, Huw Montague Rendall as Count Yamadori, Ildo Song as Uncle Bonze, Stanislav Vorobyov as the Commissioner, and Natalia Tanasii as Kate Pinkerton.

For more and information and tickets, visit the Opernhaus Zürich website.