Castleton Festival update
The Castleton Festival’s founder and artistic director, Maestro Lorin Maazel, last week announced several new artists to the roster of previously announced stars and rising young talent participating in the festival’s summer program.
The Festival presents two full-length operas (“Madama Butterfly” June 28, July 6, 11, and 20 and “Don Giovanni” July 5, 12 and 18) and three symphonic concerts, plus an All-American Band Show, a theatrical reading of “Don Juan in Hell,” bluegrass with The Seldom Scene and fireworks, chamber music, recitals, talks, pre-performance cabaret, cooking classes and fine dining.
At a 1:30 p.m. theatrical reading July 12 of “Don Juan in Hell” are Broadway and television stars Maria Tucci (“Law & Order,” “To Die For”); Dylan Baker (“The Good Wife,” “Zero Hour,” “Spider-Man 2”), and Patrick Breen (“Blue Bloods,” “CSI Miami”). Tucci will also direct the reading.
Donald Runnicles, music director of Deutsche Oper Berlin, conducts the June 29 King Mozart symphonic concert at 2 p.m.
Acclaimed musician Joe Alessi, principle trombone of the New York Philharmonic, will be a soloist in the Festival’s All-American Band Concert at 2 p.m. July 4 (conducted by Rappahannock’s own Col. John Bourgeois).
The artists join 250 young musicians, faculty and previously announced performers and participants — including master flutist Sir James Galway, famed mezzosoprano Denyce Graves, violin virtuosi Eric Silberger and Julian Rachlin, famed cellist Alisa Weilerstein, bass-baritone Javier Arrey and others.
“In the last two weeks, we’ve seen the arrival of our orchestra, singers, production team and faculty, begun rehearsals, and welcomed our largest group of visitors yet — 200 third- and fourth-grade students from Culpeper who came here as part of ‘Castleton Alive’ to get a behind-the-curtains peek at Castleton and learn about opera. We’re positively buzzing,” said Nancy Gustafson, the festival’s general manager. “We are so fortunate to have Maestro Maazel here at this festival, held quite literally in his backyard. He is in great spirits, working daily with his 15 master class conductors, our impressive young orchestra and our talented singers.”