Bryttan to conduct "Butterfly" featuring soprano from Ukraine (04/19/98)

Bryttan to conduct "Butterfly" featuring soprano from Ukraine

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. - "Madama Butterfly" has perhaps the single most recognizable aria for soprano in all of opera, and should always hold a place of pride for all Ukrainians because it was Salomea Krushelnytska, one of the greatest singers of her time, whose performance assured the success of Puccini's revised score in Brescia, Italy, in 1904.

One of the best loved of all operas, "Madama Butterfly" is also one of the most complex, depicting the clash of East and West and placing extreme demands on the title character and a wealth of characterization onto the orchestra.

Adrian Bryttan will conduct five performances of this work at New Rochelle Opera on May 8, 9, 15, 16 and 17. In 1985 he also conducted "Madama Butterfly" in a Ukrainian translation in New York and Philadelphia with Marta Andriuk in the title role and also conducted the piece at the Lviv Opera in 1995. In addition, Mr. Bryttan has also conducted many performances of other works by Puccini, including "La Bohème" and "Tosca" in theaters here and in Europe.

In recent years, Mr. Bryttan has been music director for several New Rochelle productions, including "Haensel and Gretel," "La Bohème," and last year's "La Traviata," which was attended by New York Metropolitan opera baritone Robert Merrill and soprano Licia Albanese.

On May 9 and 16, the title role will be performed by soprano Luba Schibtchik from Ukraine in her American debut. Ms. Schibtchik graduated from the Lviv Conservatory of Music in both voice and the "domra," an ethnic stringed instrument. As a member of the Opera Studio, she sang leading roles in "Aleko" and "La Traviata," and also performed in Bortniansky's "Alcid.''

After serving as soloist for the Trembita choir, she was engaged by the National Children's Opera Theater in Kyiv in 1994, performed the leading roles in "Iolanta" and "Rigoletto" and also concertized widely in Ukraine as a soloist with the National Wind Ensemble.

In addition to her musical activities, Ms. Schibtchik is employed as a vocal therapist in the otolaryngology department at the National Research Institute in Kyiv. In 1996 she was honored with the Hulak-Artemovsky Award for her contributions to the community as well as her musical accomplishments. For tickets to the performance call (914) 235-1027.