Admin

Opera NEO

Conductor

Péter Kozma

Stage director

Daria Zholnerova

Singer

Bass-baritone

Colin Ramsey

Polifemo

Countertenor

Chuanyuan Liu

Soprano

Ashley Fabian

Galatea

Keith Wehmeier

Ulisse

Mezzo-soprano

Lauren Randolph

Calipso

Nini Marchese

Nerea

Italian

Polifemo -  (Polyphemus)

San Diego

United States

UC San Diego Park & Market

Polifemo Porpora

Public

Polyphemus

Rahul Solomon

English

Approved

Nell'attendere il mio bene Cecilia Bartoli

Opera Neo presents the American premiere of Nicola Porpora’s Polifemo, performed for the first time outside of Europe.

Nicola Porpora was one of the most brilliant and influential musical figures of the Baroque period. A rival of Handel, and teacher of the great castrato Farinelli, Porpora was a prolific and dramatically gifted composer of opera. We are excited to bring this important work to American audiences for the first time.

Based on Ovid’s Metamorphosis, Polifemo weaves together the stories of Polyphemus, Acis, and Galatea and an episode of Homer’s Odyssey featuring Odysseus, Polyphemus, and Calypso. The opera was composed in London, where Porpora was invited by a group of English noblemen, at the urging of two famous singers, Farinelli and Senesino, (both students of Porpora) to compete with Handel. It was a rarity to hear two superstar castrato singers in the same opera, along with the other renowned performers who appeared in the premiere.

Polyphemus by Porpora, From (2024/2024), Directed by Daria Zholnerova,, Conductor Péter Kozma, UC San Diego Park & Market, San Diego, United States

Performance credits (Cast & Crew )

Cast

Programme, About & Synopsis

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Further reading

Performance Dates & Venues

Venues