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MEDIA RELEASES

Contact
Jessica Mackinnon
jmack@dom.edu
(708) 524-6289

DU hosts 25th Annual Trustee Benefit Concert

Dominican University will celebrate the 25th anniversary of its Annual Trustee Benefit Concert by presenting Samuel Ramey and Frederica von Stade, two of the brightest stars in the opera firmament, in their only Midwest appearance together on Sunday, March 6 at 3:00 p.m. in the Lund Auditorium, 7900 W. Division Street, River Forest. This pairing of the elegant mezzo-soprano and the charismatic bass-baritone will provide a rare opportunity to experience an operatic legend in the making.

As part of its anniversary celebration, Dominican University will present the Lyric Opera with its annual Bravo Award in honor of the Lyric’s 50th anniversary. The Bravo Award is presented annually to a person or organization whose exceptional contributions to the performing arts have enhanced the Chicagoland community’s opportunities to appreciate and enjoy the best in music, opera, theatre and the humanities. Past recipients have included Maria Tallchief, Ardis Kranik, Sir Georg and Lady Solti, and Danny Newman.

Tickets for this gala event are $50 and $75; $350 with dinner and a silent auction. Proceeds from this special event go towards scholarships for Dominican students. For more information or to reserve tickets, please call the box office at (708) 524-6942.

Frederica von Stade has been extolled as one of the most beloved musical figures of our time. Honored by President Ronald Reagan in 1983 with an award in recognition of her significant contribution to the arts, von Stade has enriched the world of classical music for three decades with her appearances in opera, concert and recital.

During her illustrious career, von Stade has appeared with every leading American opera company and had new productions mounted for her at Teatro della Scala, Royal Covent Garden, the Vienna State Opera and the Paris Opera. In 1998 she was awarded France’s highest honor in the arts when she was appointed as an officer of the Order of Arts and Letters.

With more than 60 recordings, von Stade has earned six Grammy nominations, two Grand Prix du Disc Awards, Italy’s Premio della Critica Discografica, and Best of the Year citations by Stereo Review and Opera News.

Revered for her warmth on stage and for her rapport with her audience, von Stade “could probably draw a full house of people eager just to be in her presence and watch her be herself” (San Francisco Chronicle).

Samuel Ramey has reigned as one of the world’s foremost interpreters of bass and bass-baritone operatic and concert repertoire. The most recorded bass in history, Ramey has garnered almost every major recording award, including three Grammy Awards, Gran Prix du Disc awards and Best of the Year citations from Stereo Review and Opera News.

Ramey made his Metropolitan Opera debut in 1984 and, based on the unique expressiveness of his bass voice, has established a reputation unequaled in the music world for his repertoire of devils and villains, including Mephistopheles in Gounod’s Faust, which he has performed over 200 times in more than 20 productions. In 1996, Ramey presented a sold-out concert in New York’s Avery Fisher Hall titled A Date with the Devil in which he sang 14 arias representing the core of this repertoire. He continues to tour this program throughout the world. In 1998 France awarded him the rank of Commander in the Order of Arts and Letters.

Don’t miss this opportunity to see two of the most revered opera stars in the world performing together in their only Midwest appearance. For more information, please call Linda Breivogel at (708) 524-6299.