Levine Presents 2021-22

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Levine is committed to building new audiences for music by offering outstanding performances, master classes, and other musical events free-of-charge. This season of Levine Presents is offered free of charge thanks to the generosity of many donors. Please consider making a gift to support these programs.

Program

View PDF Program with translations

Alma Llanera Pedro Elias Gutierrez
From Alma Llanera (1870-1954)

Entrada de Paloma Francisco Asenjo Barbieri
From El barberillo de Lavapiés (1823-1894)

Lucé la fé por el triunfo… Federico Moreno Torroba
From Luisa Fernanda (1891-1982)

No puede ser Pablo Sorozábal
From La Tabernera del puerto (1897-1988)

Romanza de Maria La O Ernesto Lecuona
From Maria La O (1896-1963)

La Tarantula Geronimo Giménez
From La tempranica (1854-1923)

Intermedio
From La boda de Luis Alonso Geronimo Giménez (1854-1923)

En mi tierra extremeña… Federico Moreno Torroba
From Luisa Fernanda (1891-1982)

Gran dúo de Barberillo de Lavapiés Francisco Asenjo Barbieri
From El barberillo de Lavapiés (1823-1894)

Seguidillas de Lamparilla Francisco Asenjo Barbieri
From El barberillo de Lavapiés (1823-1894)

Cabildo de Reyes   Ernesto Lecuona
From Maria la O (1896-1963)

Romanza de Jose Inocente   Ernesto Lecuona
From Maria la O (1896-1963)

Salida de Maria   Ernesto Lecuona
From Maria la O (1896-1963)

Anamer Castrello, mezzo-soprano, Peter Joshua Burroughs, tenor and Gustavo Ahualli, baritone

Carlos César Rodríguez, piano and Ivan Navas, percussion

About the Artists

Gustavo Ahualli, baritone 

Levine voice faculty member, Gustavo Ahualli, hailed for his rich and powerful baritone, has become well known for his dramatic portrayals in a myriad of leading roles of standard operatic repertoire as well as new works by contemporary composers. The Houston Press extolled, “As Macbeth, Argentinean baritone, Gustavo Ahualli proved he has an ideal voice for Verdi, beautiful, full, rich, and powerful. His singing was effortless, with excellent control, and ripe with machismo.”

Mr. Ahualli has over 45 roles under his belt with particular affinity for verdian and belcanto repertoire and has sung in all the principal theatres of his country including the emblematic Teatro Colón, across the United States of America, Spain and Italy as well.

Gustavo Ahualli was born in San Miguel de Tucuman, Argentina. He began his musical training at age of seven and received his Masters in Vocal Performance from the Instituto Superior de Arte del Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires.

He currently lives in Washington, DC. In addition to teaching at Levine, he serves on the Voice Faculty for the Vocal Performance Academic Area at the Rome School of Music, Drama and Art at The Catholic University of America and he is the Director for the Latin American Music Center for graduate studies for the same institution.

Peter Joshua Burroughs, tenor

Critically acclaimed as a “commanding” singing actor, tenor Peter Joshua Burroughs’ career has carried him to the stage in opera, zarzuela, and musical theatre alike. He has frequently been heard on the Washington National Opera stage in such roles as Ezekiel Cheever in The Crucible, Don Curzio in Le nozze di Figaro, Remendado in Carmen (with Denyce Graves), and Spoletta in Tosca, among others.

A natural comedian, Peter has appeared in many comic roles such as Archibald Grosvenor in Patience and Nanki-poo in The Mikado. For his portrayal as Lamparilla in Barbarillo de Lavapiés, he was described by DC Theatre Scene as “terrific…his comic abilities were well matched with good singing form”.

In addition to Washington National Opera, Mr. Burroughs has performed with Washington Concert Opera, Baltimore Symphony, Opera Tampa, and St. Petersburg  Opera Co, Northern Lights Music Festival, Bel Cantanti Opera among others, in repertoire including Tanzmeister (Ariadne auf Naxos), Monostatos (Die Zauberflöte), Triquet (Eugene Onegin), Pedrillo (Die Entfürung aus dem Serail), Nemorino (L’Elisir d’amore), the Witch (Hansel and Gretel). Eisenstein and Blind  (Die Fledermaus), Paco (La Vida Breve ), Fernando (Goyescas), St Brioche (The Merry Widow ) Don Jose (Carmen en L’Havana ),Kaspar (Amahl and The Night Visitors), Gastone (La Traviata) Spoletta (Tosca), Fernando (Goyescas) Niño Fernando (Maria La O)

On the musical theatre stage, he has been seen as Giuseppe Zangara (Assassins), Lieutenant Torasso (Passion), and Mr. Erlanson (A Little Night Music). Also a noted interpreter of new works, Peter performed the role of Max Schmeling in the world premiere of Shadow Boxer and the role of Lopez in the world premiere of Megabucks.

Recent performances include Fernando/Leonardo (Maria la O and Cecilia Valdes) In Series, Washington DC, Monostatos (Die Zauberflöte) Bel Cantanti Opera and St Petersburg Opera co, Remendado (Carmen) Opera Tampa, Gastone (La Traviata) Northern Lights Music Festival and Opera Tampa, Spoleta (Tosca) Opera Tampa and Northern Lights Music Festival, Basilio/Curzio (Le Nozze di Figaro) and Bomeliy (Tsar’s Bride) with Bel Cantante Opera Company. Concerts in Havana, Pinar del Rio, Cuba, and San Jose Costa Rica. Upcoming performances include Nathaniel/Spalanzani (Les Contes d’Hoffmann) Opera Tampa and Washington Opera Society and Debajo del mismo cielo (Under The Same Sky) on Bonita Lestina Old Towne Hall Concert series with RÓMEZ3arts.

Anamer Castrello, mezzo-soprano

Mezzo-soprano Anamer Castrello, a native of Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, stands out as one of the most impressive and versatile singers in the Washington, DC, area.  Praised by the Washington Post as “the richest and most expressive voice…with a memorable mezzo-soprano – round and clear with a smoky finish…Castrello has a powerful and passionate voice…,” She has sung numerous opera and zarzuela roles as well as cabaret and popular shows abroad, and in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area. Anamer participated in the International Opera Festival in Rome, Italy, playing Marcellina in Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro. She has appeared with several opera companies and orchestras including the Washington National Opera, Baltimore Opera, Opera Camerata of Washington, Shakespeare Theatre, Pan American Symphony Orchestra, the Metropolitan Orchestra, the Capital City Symphony, the Mount Vernon Orchestra, Opera Americana, The Other Opera Company, GALA Hispanic Theater, Zarzuela Di Si, Diaspora Opera of Washington, Bel Cantanti Opera and the Singers Opera. She is one of the artists/singers of the IN Series, an innovative Washington, DC opera company.

Ms. Castrello holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Humanities with a concentration in Piano from the University of Puerto Rico, a Master of Arts degree in Music Education for Colleges and Universities from New York University and a Master of Music degree in Opera Performance from the University of Maryland at College Park as well as a Doctor of Musical Arts  (DMA) in Vocal Performance from The Catholic University of America.

In addition to her opera appearances, Ms. Castrello has presented her shows Soul of Latin America, Latin American Essence and Sabor y vida/Essence and Life directed by Abel Lopez, locally at the Smithsonian Museums, The Mexican Cultural Institute, the Millennium Stage of the Kennedy Center and throughout the United States. That program, devoted to song classics from south of the border, is the inspiration of her first solo CD titled Anamer Castrello, Latin American Mezzo: Latin American Hits, featuring a mixture of many Latin American music styles. Also touring from 2000-2003 with the Washington Ballet, Anamer was the vocal soloist for the piece Juanita and Alicia, choreographed by the artistic director, Septime Webre, with the Latin Jazz ensemble Sin Miedo conducted by Didier Prossaird.

Carlos César Rodríguez, piano

Levine piano faculty member, Carlos César Rodríguez, acclaimed by the Washington Post as “powerful…virtuoso…masterful pianist,”  is a musician of great brilliance and versatility. He has gained recognition as a virtuoso pianist who not only generates excitement in the Hispanic and Spanish repertoire but also displays an extraordinary flair for Mozart, the Romantics and the Avant-garde scores.  He has recorded for Omicron and Brioso labels and has won the highest critical acclaim for his CD of Spanish music, España en el corazón, distributed by Brioso Recordings.

As concert-pianist Carlos César Rodríguez made his recital debut in his native Venezuela at age 5 and made his orchestral debut as soloist at age 11.  At age 21 he made his Carnegie Hall debut. As concert-artist he has toured Europe and performed concerti and solo recitals throughout the Americas. Venues in which Mr. Rodríguez has performed include the John F. Kennedy Center; the White House; and the Corcoran Gallery, and National Gallery of Arts in Washington DC; Merkin Hall, Carnegie Hall, the Americas Society, 92nd Y in New York; and the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria.

As chamber music artist Mr. Rodríguez has been a guest artist with the Garth Newell Chamber Music Festival and is a frequent guest artist of the National Chamber Ensemble. As a collaborative artist he has worked with Denyce Graves,  Jessye Norman and Plácido Domingo.

Recently Mr. Rodríguez became the Founding Artistic Director of RÓMEZ3arts (building community and inter-cultural awareness though music to Engage, Enrich and Empower with whom he built inter-cultural exchanges in Cuba and Costa Rica between 2016 and the present).  He continues to be Music Director for WORD Dance Theatre and appeared with them at the Kennedy Center’s REACH in March for the 100th anniversary of Women’s Suffrage.  Recently he toured as Pianist in Poland and Italy, performing the music of Chopin, with The Isadora Duncan International Institute and performed again with them in NYC and Montreal in November 2019.