{ program notes
Katie Van Kooten last appeared with the Baltimore Symphony in January 2015 , performing Beethoven ’ s Symphony No . 9 , Nicholas McGegan , conductor .
Elizabeth DeShong
During the 2016 – 2017 season , soprano Elizabeth DeShong will return to the Metropolitan Opera for the title role in Rossini ’ s L ’ Italiana in Algeri , sing Adalgisa in Norma at Lyric Opera of Chicago , and make her Royal Opera and Bayerische Staatsoper debuts as Suzuki in Madama Butterfly . In concert , she will perform the Verdi Requiem with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and the Mahler Symphony No . 2 with the Oregon Symphony .
In 2015-2016 , Ms . DeShong performed multiple roles in the Metropolitan Opera ’ s new production of Berg ’ s Lulu , followed by Fenena in Nabucco at Lyric Opera of Chicago , Arsace in Semiramide with the Opera National de Bordeaux and Hermia in Britten ’ s A Midsummer Night ’ s Dream at the Glyndebourne Festival . She sang Handel ’ s Messiah with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Sir Andrew Davis .
In previous seasons , Ms . DeShong appeared in the Canadian Opera Company ’ s Madama Butterfly , the Orchestra of St . Luke ’ s Die erste Walpurgisnacht at Carnegie Hall , and with the Los Angeles Opera as Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia . She has also appeared with the Radio Symphony Orchestra in the Netherlands , and the Royal Flemish Orchestra in Belgium , the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra .
Ms . DeShong sang two Hermias at the Metropolitan Opera : in Britten ’ s A Midsummer Night ’ s Dream , and in the pastiche opera , The Enchanted Island ; she performed Bernstein ’ s “ Jeremiah ” Symphony with the Radio Symphonie Orchester Wien under the direction of Marin Alsop , and the Mozart Requiem with the Cleveland Orchestra .
Gabriel Guzman
She has performed as Maffio Orsini in Lucrezia Borgia with San Franciso Opera and English National Opera , Angelina in La Cenerentola at the Canadian Opera Company , and Hermia in A Midsummer Night ’ s Dream at Lyric Opera of Chicago .
Ms . DeShong received the Washington National Opera ’ s artist of the year award in 2010 , for her debut performance as the composer in Richard Strauss ’ Ariadne auf Naxos . On DVD , she can be seen as Hermia in The Enchanted Island on Virgin , and as Maffio Orsini in the San Francisco Opera ’ s Lucrezia Borgia .
Elizabeth DeShong is making her BSO debut .
Joshua Guerrero
Joshua Guerrero returns to the Los Angeles Opera as Macduff with Plácido Domingo as Macbeth and makes his London debut at the English National Opera as the Duke of Mantova in Rigoletto . In concert , he will tour Europe with Gustavo Dudamel and the Simón Bolivar Orchestra singing Beethoven ’ s 9th Symphony and will sing Haydn ’ s Creation with Maestro Dudamel and the L . A . Philharmonic .
Last season , Mr . Guerrero sang Greenhorn in Moby Dick at LA Opera and made his European operatic debut as Gabriele Adorno in Simon Boccanegra at Opéra National de Bordeaux , followed by Nemorino in L ’ elisir d ’ amore at Teatro de la Maestranza in Seville . In the summer of 2015 , Mr . Guerrero appeared at a gala honoring Plácido Domingo at the Salzburg Festival .
Mr . Guerrero appeared as Count Almaviva in LA Opera ’ s new production of Ghosts of Versailles in the 2014 – 2015 season and returned to the Aspen Music Festival as Roméo in Roméo et Juliette with George Manahan conducting . He made his role debut as Rodolfo in La bohème in Caracas .
As a member of the Domingo- Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program ,
Kristen Hoebermann
Mr . Guerrero ’ s appearances included Normanno in Lucia di Lammermoor and Steve Hubbell in A Streetcar Named Desire . He made his debut at the Ravinia Festival with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under the baton of James Conlon singing the role of the Messenger in Aida .
A graduate of UCLA , Mr . Guerrero has performed Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni and the title role in Orpheus in the Underworld for Opera UCLA . He was the second prize-winner at Plácido Domingo ’ s Operalia Competition in 2014 .
Joshua Guerrero is making his BSO debut .
Reginald Smith
A Grand Finals winner of the 2015 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and a recent graduate of the Houston Grand Opera Studio , bass Reginald Smith , Jr . has been praised as a passionate performer with a powerful and attractive voice . In the 2016 – 2017 season , Mr . Smith makes company debuts with Opera Carolina as Germont in La Traviata and Dallas Opera as the Bonze in Madama Butterfly , and will appear in recital with soprano Amber Wagner with the George London Foundation .
Highlights of Mr . Smith ’ s 2015 – 2016 season included company debuts with Toledo Opera as Sharpless in Madama Butterfly , the Columbus Symphony Orchestra as bass soloist in Beethoven ’ s Symphony No . 9 , and the Nashville Symphony as bass soloist in Handel ’ s Messiah . Later in the season he performed leading roles with Wolf Trap as a member of the Filene Young Artist program .
Mr . Smith has won first place in the National Opera Association Competition : Scholarship Division , Orpheus Vocal Competition : Young Artist Division , Top Prize in the George London Vocal Competition and Gerda Lissner International Vocal Competition , and received a 2015 Sarah Tucker Study Grant .
Reginald Smith is making his BSO debut .
September – November 2016 | Overture 49