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September 20, 2007

President Gala to feature renowned soprano Claire Vangelisti Oct. 9

The President鈥檚 Gala, a fundraiser that benefits the School of Visual and Performing Arts, will continue as one of the area鈥檚 premier art events Tuesday, Oct. 9 in the Biedenharn Recital Hall, located on University Ave.

The social hour will begin at 6:30 p.m. The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m., and the event will close with an artist鈥檚 reception.

The President鈥檚 Gala will open with 鈥淔rench Horn Fanfare鈥� by Jason Rinehart and James Boldin. A Ragtime Set will follow, involving music, dance and percussion pieces. Audience members will enjoy a medley from 鈥淧orgy and Bess,鈥� while Broadway hits will receive their due measure by way of music, vocal and dance performances.

This year鈥檚 featured star will be Italian-American Claire Vangelisti, soprano and 蜜桔直播鈥檚 new faculty member. She will perform songs from 鈥淭he Phantom of the Opera鈥� and 鈥淐andide.鈥�

鈥淪he is a special talent that is strongly in demand in recital, opera and operetta productions,鈥� said Mark Ross Clark, head of the Division of Music. 鈥淪he has a luminous stage presence, and she has significant professional and teaching experience. She鈥檚 a delightful performer鈥攙ery extraordinary.鈥�

More about Vangelisti:
(According to her Web site, )

Vangelisti's voice has graced both national and international stages. According to her Web site, 鈥渉er international debut [in 1998] was well received in Lisbon, Portugal at the Centro Cultural de Bel茅m where she presented a solo recital of Twentieth Century American Music. Invited to return to Lisbon in 1999, Vangelisti performed an additional solo recital and toured as concert soloist with the Orchestra Filarmonia das Beiras under the baton of Osvaldo Ferrierra, where her renderings of Mozart arias acquired extensive audience acclaim.鈥�

In the United States, she has performed as concert soloist in many works, including Mozart's Great Mass in C Minor, Solemn Vespers and Mass in C Major, as well as Handel's Judas Maccabaeus and Messiah, Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass and Missa in tempori belli, Honneggar鈥檚 King David, Charpentier鈥檚 Te Deum, Schubert鈥檚 Mass No. 2 in G Major, Vivaldi鈥檚 Gloria and Monteverdi鈥檚 Vespro Della Beata Vergine.

She made her American operatic debut as an apprentice with the Austin Lyric Opera Young Artist Program, where she had the opportunity to perform several cameo roles in productions such as 鈥淩igoletto,鈥� and 鈥淭he Ballad of Baby Doe,鈥� as well as the role of Papagena in 鈥淒ie Zauberfl枚te.鈥�

Vangelisti has continued her stage career as a key player in the Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Austin, performing the roles of Lady Ella in 鈥淧atience,鈥� Josephine in 鈥淗.M.S. Pinafore,鈥� Gianetta in 鈥淭he Gondoliers鈥� and Mabel in 鈥淭he Pirates of Penzance.鈥� Vangelisti鈥檚 Mabel won a B. Iden Payne Award for 鈥淏est Actress in a Musical鈥� as well as a nomination for 鈥淏est Actress in a Musical鈥� Austin Critics Table Award. Additional roles performed include Marsinah in 鈥淜ismet鈥� with the San Antonio Symphony and Gianetta in 鈥淟'Elisir d'Amore鈥� with The Lyric Opera of San Antonio.

Vangelisti has appeared as a guest soloist with The Texas Chamber Consort, Southwest Opera, Capital City Men's Chorus, Austin Civic Chorus, Austin Civic Orchestra, Temple Civic Chorus, Temple Symphony Orchestra, Laredo Philharmonic Orchestra, Austin Summer Choral Symposium, Austin Symphonic Band and the Austin Chamber Ensemble.
She 鈥渋s passionate about supporting living American composers and demonstrated this commitment in the Fall of 2002 by performing a solo recital of American Twentieth Century Song in Aveiro, Portugal, including the world premiere of 鈥楲etting Go,鈥� a song cycle by composer Daron Hagen.鈥�

Other recent engagements include three performances of Shostakovich鈥檚 Seven Romances on Poems by A. Blok with the Austin Chamber Ensemble as part of 鈥淪hostakovich 100,鈥� a yearlong festival celebrating the 100th anniversary of the composer鈥檚 birth. She also appear with the San Gabriel Chorale for their rendition of Bach鈥檚 St. Mark Passion.

Tickets are now on sale for the celebration, which benefits VAPA. Tickets cost $50 per person and may be purchased by calling (318) 342-1010.

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