Ring Festival LA Media Contact:
Catherine Babcock
Public Relations Consultant
cbabcock@RingFestivalLA.com
P: (213) 972-7691

MEDIA ALERT AND LISTINGS
RING FESTIVAL LA
WEEK VII, May 24-May 30, 2010

What:

LA Opera opens its first cycle of Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen on May 29, when director Achim Freyer's Das Rheingold takes the stage at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. The highly anticipated production, directed by James Conlon, LA Opera's Richard Seaver Music Director, continues with Die Walküre on May 30; Siegfried on June 3; and Götterdämmerung on June 6. This is the first-ever presentation of the Ring in Los Angeles. Anyone traveling to see the cycle will have many opportunities take in the best of arts and culture in Los Angeles on non-performance days thanks to Ring Festival LA the countywide arts celebration inspired by the Ring. There are seminars, lectures and classes, art exhibitions, concerts, walking tours, online exhibits, German food, hot dogs and beer. In the weeks ahead, LA will ring with opera and Ring Festival LA.

Who/Where:

LA Opera Der Ring des Nibelungen Performance dates: Cycle 1: Das Rheingold (5/29); Die Walküre (5/30); Siegfried (6/3); Götterdämmerung (6/6) Cycle 2: Das Rheingold (6/8); Die Walküre (6/10); Siegfried (6/13); Götterdämmerung (6/16) Cycle 3: Das Rheingold (6/18); Die Walküre (6/20); Siegfried (6/23); Götterdämmerung (6/26) (For Performance times and ticket information visit www.laoperaring.com) LA Opera presents the first two operas, Das Rheingold and Die Walküre, of the first complete Ring production ever seen in Los Angeles. The cast includes: soprano Linda Watson as Brünnhilde, with tenor John Treleaven as Siegfried, bass Vitalij Kowaljow as Wotan, baritone Richard Paul Fink as Alberich, tenor Plácido Domingo as Siegmund, mezzo-soprano Michelle DeYoung as Sieglinde, mezzo-soprano Jill Grove as Erda and tenor Graham Clark as Mime. Ms. DeYoung will also perform Fricka in Das Rheingold and Waltraute in Götterdämmerung, and the cast also features bass Eric Halfvarson as Fafner, Hunding and Hagen; tenor Arnold Bezuyen as Loge; mezzo-soprano Ekaterina Semenchuk as Fricka in Die Walküre; bass-baritone Alan Held as Gunther; and soprano Jennifer Wilson as Gutrune. James Conlon, LA Opera's Richard Seaver Music Director, conducts a production staged by legendary theater artist Achim Freyer. Tickets: Single Tickets for the individual operas range from $50-$275, www.laoperaring.com, (213) 972-8001, or Box Office. Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Music Center of Los Angeles County, 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90012 Contact: Gary Murphy, Director of Communications and Public Relations, LA Opera, gmurphy@laopera.com or (213) 972-7554 Robert V. Fullerton Art Museum, California State University, San Bernardino California State University, San Bernardino, Timeless Enchantment: Music by Richard Wagner and Wagner-inspired Composers, May 26, 2010, 6 -9 pm Music from Wagner's Ring of the Nibelung; other works from Wagner's portfolio (Julie Makerov, soprano; Victoria Kirsch, piano); and songs by Claude Debussy, Gustav Mahler and Hugo Wolf (Stacey Fraser, soprano; Andrew Crane, tenor; Victoria Kirsch, piano). A reception follows: cost $10 Info: www.museum.csusb.edu or (909) 537-7373 Timeless Enchantment: Richard Wagner's Ring of the Nibelung in Visual Arts and Performance, through July 31, 2010, Tue., Wed. Fri. & Sat., 10 am-5 pm; Thu., 10 am-7 pm. Part of a larger series investigating the various ways the story and music of Wagner's Ring has continued to be used in music, visual arts, theater, literature, movies, comic books, etc., this exhibition has two components: the Ring story in Arthur Rackham's illustrations and photographs from various Ring performances. Info: www.museum.csusb.edu or (909) 537-5000 5500 University Pkwy., San Bernardino, CA 92407 Contact: Andrea Callahan, Development and PR Associate, acallahan@csusb.edu or (909) 537-3373 Descanso Gardens Trees of Norse Myth, May 27-June 30, 2010, 9 am-5 pm Descanso Gardens will feature the Trees of Norse Myth-a gardens exploration of the tales and tree specimens figuring in the original Norse myths which inspired Wagner's Ring cycle. The map for this exploration, in the form of a self-guided tour, will be available for free download beginning May 27, 2010. Info: www.descansogardens.org or (818) 952-4391 Admission: $8, Senior/Students $6, Children (5-12 years) $3, Guild Members and Children under 5 free 1418 Descanso Dr., La Cañada-Flintridge, CA 91011 Contact: Brenda Reese, PR@descansogardens.org or (818) 949-7984 University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Concert by UCLA Philharmonia, University Chorus, and Chamber Singers, James Conlon, Guest Conductor, May 27, 2010, 8 pm UCLA welcomes LA Opera's Richard Seaver Music Director James Conlon, who will conduct a special performance featuring Schoenberg's A Survivor from Warsaw; Zemlinsky's Psalm 83 and Psalm 13; and Schreker's Intermezzo for strings, Op. 8 and Valse Lente. Neal Stulberg narrates. Tickets: $12, UCLA faculty, staff & students (with ID) $5, www.tickets.ucla.edu, Box office, (310) 825-2101, or at the door Royce Hall, UCLA, 340 Royce Dr.,, Los Angeles, CA 90095 Contact: Todd Hawkins, The Todd Group (TTG), http://www.thetoddgroup.net or (310) 649-6040 LA Opera Library Project: Free Speakers Bureau Talks The Speakers Bureau, a joint program of the Opera League of Los Angeles and LA Opera, is introducing groups throughout the area to the world of opera. The Speakers Bureau is bringing the magic of the Ring cycle to Los Angeles with talks at public libraries across the region. Oxnard Public Library Free Talk: "The Perfect Wagnerite: The Ring á la George Bernard Shaw," May 29, 2010, 2:30 pm 251 South A St., Oxnard, CA 93030, (805) 240-7344, www.oxnard.org Contact: Gary Murphy, Director of Communications, gmurphy@laopera.com or(213) 972-7554 University of Southern California: Brain and Creativity Institute/REDCAT (Roy and Edna Disney/CALARTS Theater) "Myth, Wagner and the Human Brain," May 30, 2010, 3-5 pm A colloquium, featuring acclaimed theater and opera director Peter Sellars, world-renowned visual artist Bill Viola, and Antonio Damasio, internationally-renowned neurologist and neuroscientist as well as Director of the USC Brain and Creativity Institute. For information about the USC Brain and Creativity Institute: www.usc.edu/bci or (213) 740-3462 Tickets: $10, www.redcat.org, (213) 237-2800 REDCAT, 631 W. 2nd St., Los Angeles, CA 90012 Contact: Diana Wyenn, Media Relations & Promotions Manager, dwyenn@calarts.edu or 213-237-2873 Autry National Center Opera in the Libraries (online exhibition) Continuing-July 2010 The online exhibition will draw on the collections of the Braun Research Library and Autry Library. Featured will be a rare 1912 recording of French tenor Augustarello Affre recorded in Los Angeles by Charles F. Lummis and the libretto from La Fanciulla del West with music composed by Giacomo Puccini. To view the exhibition, visit www.theautry.org Contact: Joan Cumming, jcumming@autrynationalcenter.org KUSC Classical 91.5 FM Ring Programming KUSC has some exciting Ring Festival events planned for May and June, including its own presentation of the complete Ring cycle, in historic recordings, and, on "LA Opera on Air," performances of the complete cycle from the current season. The Opera Show with Duff Murphy, May 29, 9 am Murphy devotes his May morning program to off-the-beaten track Ring-related performances: from the first stereo recording to the women of the Ring and Wagner's music in cartoons. KUSC Ring Tones Duff Murphy presents special 90-second features in May and June, illuminating unusual aspects of the cycle. Info: www.KUSC.org or (213) 225-7412. Contact: Gail Eichenthal, Program Director, geichenthal@kusc.org or (213) 225-7422 Istituto Italiano di Cultural MARIA CALLAS: A Woman, A Voice, A Myth, through June 30, 2010, Mon.-Thu. 10 am-6 pm, Fri. 10 am-5 pm (closed between 1 & 2 pm) & Sat. 10 am-2 pm It was 1958 when soprano Maria Callas first performed in California in an extraordinary concert directed by Nicola Rescigno here at the Shrine Auditorium. More than fifty years after this encounter Angelenos can again engage with 'La Divina' in an exhibition that includes: memorabilia, stage costumes, rare documents, jewels, books, letters and archival photographs collected by Bruno Tosi, President of the International Association Maria Callas. The highly acclaimed exhibit has traveled the world since 1993. It has been extensively enlarged and updated for its Los Angeles showing and includes documentation of the acclaim Callas received for her 1947 Venice performance in Wagner's Tristan and Isolde. Info: www.iiclosangeles.esteri.it or (310) 443-3250 1023 Hilgard Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90024 Contact: Serena Camozzo, serena.camozzo.iic@esteri.it or (310) 443-3250 x107 The Latino Museum of History, Art and Culture Epic Tales of Latino Art, through June 30, 2010, Tue.-Sun. 10 am-4 pm Epic Tales of Latino Art presents Latino artists' heroic quest to find identity and self definition. This exhibit showcases works in The Latino Museum's permanent collection that, like Richard Wagner's Ring, are dramatic, mythical, fantastical, conflicting, yet real and thought provoking. 514 S. Spring St. Los Angeles, CA 90013 Contact: Yesica Allala, allalayes@yahoo.com or (213) 626-7600/ (310) 954-6187 Los Angeles Conservancy A Tour of German Los Angeles in the 20th Century (ongoing) In the 1930s and '40s, the city became home to some of the greatest German artists, architects, and writers, who sought refuge here during the rise of National Socialism in Europe. The Los Angeles Conservancy will highlight the physical landscape of the city's 20th-century German influence with a self-guided tour of historic sites related to notable figures including Thomas Mann, Alfred Döblin, and Bertolt Brecht. Visit these sites online with an easy-to-use Google map or print the map and explore the sites firsthand. Annotated map available at: www.laconservancy.org Contact: Cindy Olnik, colnick@laconservancy.org or (213) 430-4214 LACMA "Myths, Legends and Cultural Renewal: Wagner's Sources: through August 16, Mon., Tue. & Thu., Noon-8 pm; Fri., Noon -9 pm; Sat. & Sun. 11 am-8 pm This exhibition drawn from LACMA's collection explores Germanic myths and legends in various embodiments in the modern era. Myths, legends, and fables form an essential component of cultural renewal. Reinvented and passed on by each generation, they have continued to fascinate artists into the modern era. Integrated into the awakening of German nationalism in the 19th century, these traditions continued to fascinate various authors and artists into the high modernism of the early 20th century. Contact: Barbara Pflaumer, Associate Vice President and Director of Press Relations, bpflaumer@lacma.org or (323) 932-5881 Norton Simon Museum Form and Emotion in Rodin and Wagner, through June 30, 2010, Wed.-Mon., 12-6 pm The museum presents a self-guided tour of the eight sculptures by Auguste Rodin in the Museum's gardens. The tour draws interesting parallels between the two great 19th-century artists: Richard Wagner, the preeminent composer of Romantic music, and Rodin, the first sculptor of the modern age. 411 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91105 Contact: Leslie Denk, Director of Marketing and Communications, ldenk@nortonsimon.org or (626) 844-6941 Santa Monica Museum of Art (SMMoA) Ring: Works from SMMoA's Park Studio program, through August 21, 2010, Tues.-Sat.11 am-6 pm Santa Monica Museum of Art presents Ring an exhibition featuring work completed during the museum's signature outreach program for teens entitled Park Studio. Students worked with artist Gordon Bowen and his Arts ReFoundry Atelier to create sculptures in bronze inspired by themes from Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen. Info: www.smmoa.org or (310) 586-6488 Bergamont Station, G1, 2525 Michigan Ave., Santa Monica, CA 90404 Contact: Miranda Carroll, Director of Communications, miranda.carroll@smmoa.org or (310) 586-6488 ext. 123 Let's Be Frank German Hot Dogs, May 29-June 26, 2010 The famous grass-fed beef hot dogs of Let's Be Frank will be available throughout Ring Festival LA during selected events. In honor of the Ring, Let's Be Frank has created a special German hot dog. For cart/trailer schedule: www.letsbefrankdogs.com Contact: Heather Priest, heatherapriest@gmail.com or 310-980-5163 Patina Restaurant Association German Food Festival Savor specialty menu items by German Chef Joachim Splichal inspired by The Ring at select Patina Restaurant Group locations May 29-June 26, 2010 Info: www.patinagroup.com Patina's German Beer Garden on the Music Center Plaza, May 29-June 26, 2010 Enjoy a German beer before or after a performance, or just stop by to relax on the Plaza. Music Center of Los Angeles County, 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles, CA, 90012 Contact: Lauren Reilly, Marketing Director/West Coast, Patina Restaurant Group, lreilly@patinagroup.com or (213) 814-3268 RING FESTIVAL LA MERCHANDISE Shop for posters, tee-shirts, tote bags and more at: www.laoperashop.com

For a full listing of Ring Festival LA events visit www.ringfestivalla.com