Festival Opera Artist Recital Series
They Sing!
Lily Bogas, mezzo-soprano
Matheus Coura, countertenor
Zachary Gordin, pianist
Opera and theater, from Greek tragedy to those 18th Century rock stars the Castrati, have historically told stories through a broad spectrum of voices, personalities, and gender expressions. Performed and curated by mezzo-soprano Lily Bogas (she/they) and countertenor Matheus Coura (they/them), They Sing! will explore feelings from sublime to irreverent to comedic: recognizing that voices of the same range have validity in roles across the gender spectrum. This program will feature arias, songs, and duets by Monteverdi, Handel, Mozart, Bizet, Strauss, Kurt Weill, and Ricky Ian Gordon. They Sing! will take you on a journey through the past, present and into the future of how music has shaped and reflected the multifaceted human experience.
Emerging mezzo-soprano Lily Bogas is a student at the Eastman School of Music whose recent credits include Taller Daughter in Missy Mazzoli’s Proving Up, Dido in Dido and Aeneas, and Cinderella in Into the Woods. A finalist in the National CS Vocal Competition, and third place winner in the Schmidt Vocal Competition, Lily was also a finalist in the American Songbook Academy, performing jazz standards alongside Michael Feinstein. Lily will be making their mainstage debut with Festival Opera as Clotilde in Norma this season.
Praised for their “sonorous voice” and “delightful spontaneity” Brazilian-American countertenor Matheus Coura’s recent performances include Giuliano in Eliogabalo with West Edge Opera, and Narcissus in ...two united in a single soul… with San Francisco Ballet. Coura is a proud recipient of the SF Artist Grant, was a finalist in the Bethlehem Bach Competition, and prize winner at the St. Petersburg Opera Guild and Cooper-Bing Competitions. Coura is also an internationally published portrait photographer, and resident artist at The Convent Arts Collective where they co-founded the drag revue Bad Habits.
- All are invited to a complimentary wine reception with the artists immediately following the performance.