Clatsop Community College
1653 Jerome, Astoria OR 97103
For immediate release
Contact: Lenore Morrisson (503) 338-2473

Deac Guidi and Friends Present “Italian Opera in Retrograde: The Progression of Italian Opera, Inverted”

Deac Guidi and Friends will kick off the Arts & Ideas Winter Concert Series when they perform “Italian Opera in Retrograde: The Progression of Italian Opera, Inverted” at 7 p.m. Saturday, January 27 at the CCC Performing Arts Center. Joining Deac will be Sharon Karsner, James Walters, Amanda Brown and pianist David Carlson.

“The concert we are doing is kind of backward in that we are starting with the most contemporary music first and working our way back to the 18th century and the work of Mozart’s Don Giovanni,” Deac said. “We thought it would be great to end with a classic, so we are doing some wonderful music of Puccini, Cilea, Verdi, Donizetti and finishing with Don Giovanni, such a monumental work, to see how Mozart influenced all of these composers.”

Deac Guidi
Deac first began performing as an undergraduate at Montana State University in Bozeman. On the North Coast he has appeared in several productions of the North Coast Chorale and the Astoria Music Festival.

Deac’s recent performances include the Marquis D’Obigny in La Traviata with Oregon Lyric Opera, his debut with Opera Pacifica as Tonio in I Pagliacci, Leporello in Don Giovanni, Baritone Soloist in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with the Olympia Chamber Orchestra, Marco in Gianni Schicchi with Opera Theater Oregon, and Principe di Boullion in Adriana LeCouvreur with Willamette Concert Opera.

Sharon Karsner
Joining him is Mezzo-Soprano Sharon Karsner, a native Washingtonian who has appeared in performances ranging from musical theater to concert and opera. Sharon was last heard as Marcellina in Le Nozze di Figaro with Opera Pacifica. She has been heard with Seattle Opera and on the concert stage, Sharon has appeared as the alto soloist in Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Coronation Mass and Requiem, and Vivaldi’s Gloria.

Amanda Brown
Soprano Amanda Brown is quickly establishing herself as a singer and actress to watch. She has also made her mark on the Opera stage, Her roles include the title role in “Amelia Goes to the Ball” with Puget Sound Opera, Micaela in “Carmen” with both Lyric Opera Northwest and Opera Pacifica, Nedda in “I Pagliacci”, the Countess in “Le Nozze di Figaro”, and Frasquita in “Carmen” with Opera Pacifica, Musetta in “La Boheme” and Liu in “Turandot” with Celebration of Music. Ms Brown has also appeared in concert as the title characters in Anna Bolena and Semiramide with Puget Sound Opera, Violetta in “La Traviata” and Fiordiligi in “Cosi fan Tutte” with Skagit Opera, and Carmen in “Carmen” while at Smith College.

James Walters
Tenor James Walters is seen regularly on West Coast stages. His roles include Don Octave in The Stoned Guest with Tacoma Opera, Camille in The Merry Widow with Willamette Concert Opera, Hoffmann in The Tales of Hoffmann with N.O.I.S.E., and Agenore in Il Re Pastore with Off-Center Opera. This year he has been seen as the Narrator in Bach's Coffee Cantata with Olympia Chamber Orchestra, The Love in Amelia Goes to the Ball with Puget Sound Opera, and with Alfred in Die Fledermaus with Kitsap Opera.

Completing the ensemble is pianist David Carlson, a musician of considerable diversity. He has presented solo programs, appeared with symphony orchestras, chamber music groups, chorales, opera companies and accompanied both vocalists and instrumentalists. Some of his many associations have been with the Santa Barbara Civic Light Opera, the Delray Beach Chorale, Florida Atlantic University, Dallas County Community Colleges and the Palm Beach Opera.
Tickets for the performance $10 and are available at the Performing Arts Center Box Office, located at 16th and Franklin Streets in Astoria, one hour before the performance or at Bach ‘n Rock in downtown Astoria.

For further information about the Clatsop Community College Arts & Ideas winter season, please contact Lenore Morrisson, Community Cultural Education Coordinator, at lmorrisson@clatsopcc.edu, call (503) 338-2473 or visit www.clatsopcc.edu/arts&ideas.