Parkway Concert Orchestra presents Carmen on May 13, 2018 in Norwood

Parkway Concert Orchestra, a 50 piece non-profit orchestra conducted by music director Geneviève Leclair, will present excerpts from Carmen in concert version on May 13 at 3 p.m. at the First Congregational Church, 100 Winter Street, Norwood. The concert will feature Zaray Rodriguez as Carmen, Dylan Elza as Don José, Erik Larson as Escamillo, and will be narrated by Brian Bell. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Norwood Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

Doors will open at 2:30. Donation is $15; $10 for seniors and students; and free for children under 12 years old. For ticket reservations, please call 781-444-5041.

The Program:

Guest Artists

Zaray Rodriguez (Carmen)

Cuban American Mezzo-Soprano Zaray Rodriguez is quickly making her mark as a young artist in operatic and concert work. A recipient of Career Bridges Grant and a Metropolitan Opera National Council Regional Finalist (January 2018), Rodriguez has recently been seen performing Florence Pike in Albert Herring and Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro with the Boston University Opera Institute. Rodriguez has performed under the baton of Robert Spano at the Aspen Music Festival and returns this summer 2018 to perform the role of Dinah for Bernstein’s Centennial, Trouble in Tahiti. Ms. Rodriguez is very excited to have her Carmen debut with Parkway Concert Orchestra this Spring.

Dylan Elza (Don José)

Dylan Elza, tenor, is a native of Forney, Texas. Mr. Elza has performed with Houston Grand Opera's Young Artist Vocal Academy, Opera Saratoga, Fort Worth Opera, Seagle Music Colony, Performance Santa Fe, Boston Conservatory at Berklee, and the University of Texas at Arlington.
Recent Engagements include Lenski in Eugene Onegin, Father Grenville in Dead Man Walking, Fenton in Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor, Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus, Nemorino in L'elisir d'amore, Pâris in La belle Hélène, and Cop in The Cradle Will Rock.
Mr. Elza earned a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance at the University of Texas at Arlington and is currently pursuing a Master of Music in Opera Performance ('18) at The Boston Conservatory under the tutelage of Dr. Rebecca Folsom.

Erik Larson (Escamillo)

American baritone Erik Earl Larson is originally from Madison, WI and is a member of Boston University's Opera Institute. While at the Opera Institute, Erik sang the roles of Mr. Maguire in Tobias Picker's Emmeline, Figaro in Mozart's beloved Le nozze di Figaro, Sid in Britten's Albert Herring, and Golaud in Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande. This coming summer, Erik returns for his second season as an apprentice artist at Des Moines Metro Opera, covering Dr. Falke in Die Fledermaus. Erik is an encouragement award winner from The Giulio Gari Foundation, The Gerda Lissner Song Competition, and the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. Erik completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and has previously been a young artist at Sarasota Opera and a vocal fellow at the Music Academy of the West.