Music And Words Of Love: A Valentine’s Luncheon
Sunday – February 12, 2023
Music And Words Of Love: A Valentine’s Luncheon. Don’t miss Opera Orlando’s annual Valentine’s program at the home of Audrey & John Ruggieri, February 12, 2023 with lunch served at 1 p.m. and musical program at 2 p.m. (desserts to follow).
Music And Words Of Love
This year’s concert features Metropolitan Opera tenor Won Whi Choi, soprano Emily Birsan and pianist Nicolas Giusti. Along with Opera Orlando’s own Gabriel Preisser.
- Tickets are $150 a piece and include lunch and dessert
- $125 for Ambassadors
- Valet parking provided
- Location: 5083 Isleworth Country Club Dr., Windermere, FL
This event is completely and graciously underwritten by Audrey and John Ruggieri. 100% of your ticket price goes to Opera Orlando. Many thanks to Audrey and John!
Won Whi Choi
Won Whi Choi has been busy captivating and thrilling audiences worldwide with his lustrous and ringing voice, elegant musicianship, and sensitive artistry. In 2020, Mr. Choi made his Metropolitan Opera début as Alfredo in La Traviata to rave reviews and was slated to return for productions of Maria Stuarda and Les Contes d’Hoffmann.
New Year, New Season!
This season, Mr. Choi joins The Metropolitan Opera again, for both Rigoletto and Fedora. As well as the Seoul Metropolitan Opera’s Romeo and Juliet, as Romeo. Choi will also return to the role of Alfredo in La Traviata for Virginia Opera. Last season’s engagements included The Metropolitan Opera’s La bohème, the Duke in Rigoletto for New York City Opera. The title role in Les Contes d’Hoffmann for Opera Tampa, and Don Jose in Carmen for Minnesota Opera.
Soprano Emily Birsan
Beloved by critics and audiences alike, American soprano Emily Birsan has shared her engaging skills with many of the world’s finest opera houses and orchestras, including the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Welsh National Opera, Edinburgh Festival, Boston Lyric Opera.
Florida Grand Opera, Rochester Philharmonic, Bergen Philharmonic, and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Hailed for her versatility and “radiant delicacy” of tone, she takes on exceptionally broad repertoire, and has emerged as a specialist in works by Mozart and Italian repertoire.
Nicolas Giusti
Nicolas Giusti is an acclaimed Italian composer and opera conductor. He has had great success with many operatic productions, such as Die Zauberflote by Mozart, Colyseum Opera House of Oporto (Portugal), Gianni Schicchi (Orbetello Festival with protagonist Giuseppe Taddei); Tosca (with Silvano Carroli, transmitted on RAI radio3).
La Boheme by Puccini at the State Opera House of Izmir (Turkey), the first production of the century in that country. He was last seen in Orlando as the conductor for Opera Orlando’s production of The Marriage of Figaro in 2019.
About Gabriel Preisser
Grammy Award winning baritone, Gabriel Preisser originally hails from Apopka, FL. He has been critically acclaimed by the NY Times and Opera News and has performed over 50 leading roles from Harold Hill to Don Giovanni with companies such as Opera San Antonio, Naples, Tampa, Minnesota Orchestra, Utah Opera, and the Colorado Symphony.
Gabriel is known for having created the role of Lt Gordon in the Pulitzer Prize winning Silent Night which he has performed with Opera Philadelphia, Detroit Opera, Cincinnati Opera, and Minnesota Opera – the latter was broadcast nationally on PBS in 2013. He currently lives in Winter Garden, FL with his loving wife and kids.
