Simpatico, Italy’s Finest and Scossa Restaurant & Lounge have planned a unique offering in their series of wine dinners that will deliver not only a tasting delight but also an evening of wonderful Italian opera. Bobbi Parlett, owner of Simpatico, says: “We have teamed with MAGNVM OPVS to present an evening of fine wine, food, and music in a one-of-a-kind Tasting Concert. This Tasting Concert draws inspiration from the great Italian opera classics, designed to heighten the experience in all of your senses. We are so excited about bringing this level of entertainment to the area and hope it will be the first of more in the future”. The event is on Friday, August 23rd, at 7:00 pm in the private dining area at Scossa. Seating is limited to 60 seats and reservations are required.
The evening will feature performers who travel nationwide to share their talent through a wide range of opera productions and they will be coming to Easton for this inaugural performance of “Voce e Vini” (Voice and Wine).
The program features soprano April Martin and tenor Benjamin Werley, curated by operatic bass-baritone and wine educator Matthew Burns, accompanied by Justina Lee. Enjoy a seven-course meal while Matthew guides you through seven different wines, chosen to highlight the parallels between what you taste and what you hear. A CD of the music and the wines tasted throughout the evening will be available for special purchase at the dinner through Simpatico, Italy’s Finest.
April Martin trained as a member of the inaugural class of Resident Artists with the Lyric Opera of Kansas City and apprenticed with Virginia Opera, Central City Opera, and the Aspen Music Festival. Recent operatic debuts include Opera in Williamsburg, New Jersey State Repertory Opera, New Amsterdam Opera, and Piedmont Opera. She has performed as a soloist with the Cleveland Orchestra as well as the Kansas City, Duke and Virginia Symphonies.
Benjamin Werley was one of twenty singers nationwide selected to sing in the semi-finals of the 2012-2013 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in New York City. He has since participated in many prestigious young artist programs, including the Merola Opera Program, Santa Fe Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Virginia Opera, Opera Colorado, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, and Martina Arroyo’s Prelude to Performance. This season, Werley returned to Virginia Opera in their first ever production of Kurt Weil’s Street Scene as Lippo Fiorentino. He made his Cleveland Opera Theater and role debut as Alfredo in La Traviata this April, made his debut at Dayton Opera as Narraboth and Second Jew in their production of Salome, and made his debut this summer at Central City Opera as Red Whiskers in their production of Britten’s Billy Budd.
Matthew Burns is an internationally renowned bass-baritone who has enjoyed a twenty-year career with featured performances at Los Angeles Opera, Utah Opera, Central City Opera, and Michigan Opera Theatre, among many others. Mr. Burns has a passion for wine and experience as a wine buyer, wine educator, and frequent imbiber. In 2016, he combined his love of wine and experience in opera to create Magnvm Opvs tasting concerts. A unique event combining an operatic recital and a wine tasting, Magnvm Opvs tasting concerts have been enjoyed by audiences in California, New York, Utah, and Virginia, with many more programs in the works.
Tickets for the evening are $150 per person, which includes tax and gratuity. For details on the program of wine, food and music, please visit www.simpaticostmichaels.com or contact Bobbi Parlett at 610-209-5409. Reservations can be made by calling Scossa at 410-822-2202.
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