Maria Luigia Borsi Interviewed During "La Bohème" At Atlanta Opera

A portrait of Maria Luigia Borsi by Brad Repp

"The masterpiece by Puccini introduces us to Mimì and Rodolfo, young lovers living in Paris in the nineteenth century. Their group of bohemians (poets, painters, philosophers) traverses the emotional landscapes of love, poverty and ultimately, loss. This production by General & Artistic Director Tomer Zvulun will bring a grand cinematic approach to one of the greatest operas of all time. Italian soprano Maria Luigia Borsi portrays Mimì. Tenor (and fellow Italy native) Gianluca Terranova plays her lover, Rodolfo. American soprano Leah Partridge sings the role of Musetta and baritone Trevor Scheunemann will portray Marcello. Theo Hoffman sings the role of Shaunard. Arthur Fagen, Carl & Sally Gable Music Director of the Atlanta Opera, will conduct." [Source] For ticket information, visit the Atlanta Opera website. Listen to the interview with Maria Luigia Borsi by clicking here. Hear the soprano sing "Donde lieta usci," from Act III of La Bohème, after the jump.

Atlanta Opera Receives $9 Million Bequest From Barbara D. Stewart

Georgia's largest opera company is set to receive a $9 million donation from longtime board member Barbara D. Stewart who passed away on December 27, 2010, of lung cancer. Marc A. Scorca, president and CEO of OPERA America, said that is one of the largest gifts on record an a North American company. Half of the money will go into the company's permanent endowment fund and the other half will help used for reserves. In her honor, Atlanta Opera plans to dedicate one opera each year to her memory. Barbara Stewart was born March 29, 1943, in Pittsburgh, PA. She graduated summa cum laude in 1965 from Arcadia University in Glenside, PA, with a bachelor’s degree in economics and business administration and then studied economics at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences of New York University. After professional positions of economic research and analyses of insurance markets, she started her own consulting firm in 1981 that specialized in the insurance business. She was a Director on several boards and authored several papers on the property-casualty insurance business. She loved to travel (Southeast Asia, China, Tibet, India, Canada and New Zealand) and supported the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra as well as local chamber groups. She was a major supporter of the Atlanta Opera and held the positions of Treasurer, Vice President and President on the board. Upon passing away, she did not want a memorial service to be held and was cremated. She requested that any memorial contributions be made to The Atlanta Opera. [Source, Source, Source, Source]