Knoxville Opera’s May Rossini Festival Named “Top 20 Event”

by Southeast Tourism Society

Knoxville Opera is excited to announce that it’s 2007 Rossini Festival was selected as one of the “Top 20 Events” by the Southeast Tourism Society (STS).

This marks the festival’s sixth year and there is already anticipation generating among the event vendors, performers and supporters from across the region. Knoxville Opera’s Rossini Festival, deemed “Knoxville’s best all-around festival” by Metropulse, will take place May 4-6, 2007, including performances of Bizet’s ever-popular opera Carmen and the Italian Street Fair, on Gay Street, right in the heart of downtown Knoxville.

The infusion of explosive Spanish flamenco and the captivating rhythms of gypsy guitars into both Carmen and the Street Fair will transform Knoxville into a weekend paradise as the 2007 Rossini Festival celebrates Mediterranean culture, cuisine, and crafts. The high caliber performances (at the Historic Tennessee Theatre and on Gay Street), cuisine and artisans make the Festival unique in Tennessee and the entire region.

At the Italian Street Fair, which takes place on May 5 from noon to 9 p.m., there will be over 26 different entertainment acts taking place on three stages as well as numerous other activities for the entire family. Jazz bands, Knoxville Children’s Choir, Circle Modern Dance, UT Opera Theatre and entire starry cast of Carmen are just a few of the entertainment treasures taking place throughout the day.

Besides the rhythms and melodies that fill the air, the Street Fair features various retailers and artisans showcasing and selling their works of fine art, pottery, jewelry, painting and stained glass. Along with the artisans, vendors will be offering some of the area’s finest food and beverages from restaurants such as La Costa and Bravo Italian Cuisine.

Bizet’s Carmen is the perfect opera to bookend this year’s festival as it embodies the passion and culture customarily associated with the Festival. Local mezzo-soprano Karen Nickell and tenor Gaston Rivero light up the stage as the intriguing gypsy Carmen and the unrelenting soldier Don José. Love and death are inseparably bound in this fiery drama of two men’s lust for a bewitching Spanish gypsy. Set in 19th century Seville, this timeless love triangle never fails to capture the imagination of audiences. Carmen will be lighting up the stage with two riveting performances on Friday, May 4 at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, May 6 at 2:30 p.m. at the Tennessee Theatre.

Knoxville Opera is proud to have Pilot Travel Centers, B 97.5, WATE Channel 6, Comcast, Regal Entertainment and Scripps Networks as sponsors. Their support allows events such as Carmen and the Italian Street Fair to operate at a high level of excellence.

As part of Knoxville Opera’s ongoing commitment to “demystify opera” both performances will be presented with projected English translations and include an Opera Preview forty-five minutes prior to the performances by Maestro Brian Salesky with the curtain raised on the set of the opera.

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