By Daily Press staff
Opera is the theme this weekend at Santa Monica College. The Emmy Award-winning SMC Theatre will present Bel Canto Opera Gala 2004 at 8 p.m. on Saturday and 4 p.m. on Sunday in the SMC Concert Hall, 1900 Pico Blvd.
The May 15 performance also will feature the presentation of the 2004 Piedad F. Robertson award to JoAnn Ortiz, executive director of the SMC Foundation, for her dedication and support. The award is named after the president of SMC.
The concert will feature selections from the operas of Donizetti, Bellini and Rossini. Bel Canto — which means beautiful singing in Italian — refers to the art of singing in the Italian style with beauty, elegance, flexibility, assured technique and a certain bravura, officials said. It also refers to the type of operas written in Italy in the first half of the 19th century.
Featured artists will be soprano Terrie Barna, bass Stephen Breen and baritone Ryutaro Iijima. Hung-Gi Cindy Hsu is the accompanist, and Siobhan Leeway is the costume designer.
Pinner is an SMC voice professor, professional opera singer and internationally renowned recording artist, who won a 2001 Emmy for the video of the SMC production of “Faust,” which aired on Los Angeles City Channel 36 and City TV- Channel 16 in Santa Monica. Pinner was the executive producer and lead performer. She also had leading roles in the TV opera videos of “La Boheme” and “Dialogue of the Carmelites.”
Tickets are $16 general admission and $10 for students and senior citizens. For information, call (310) 434-3000.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 10, 2004. Read the original PDF.