Virginia Opera's own Joseph Walsh conducts in Italy this summer

07/15/08 -

Virginia Opera Associate Conductor Joseph Walsh brings his talent to the Amalfi Coast Music Festival in Italy to conduct performances of Puccini's "Gianni Schicchi" on July 23, 24 and 25.

"I am extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to spend some time this summer in Italy," says Joe, who has lived in Norfolk ever since he joined the company in 1995. "Spending time with the Italian people, the language and culture only enriches what I will be able to bring to our productions this coming season."

Amalfi is located in Italy's mountainous countryside, just south of Naples, a part of Italy that Joe likens to the setting for Donizetti's romantic comedy The Elixir of Love, which he conducts for us this November. Among his other duties, he also fills the important role of chorus master during the other three titles in the all-Italian 2008-2009 "Viva la passione!" Season:  Verdi's Il Trovatore, Puccini's Tosca and Rossini's The Barber of Seville.

"I am also particularly proud to have April Lessard and Abbey Harr joining me at the festival to perform," says Joe. April lives in Norfolk and performs in Virginia Opera's chorus. Abbey lives in Virginia Beach and was a performer in the company's highly competitive Student Training and Artistic Residency program, which was founded by Joe in partnership with her alma mater, The Governor's School for the Arts.

This will be Joe's third time as a guest conductor at the summer festival in Amalfi, having first conducted "Gianni Schicchi" there in 2005, followed by Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro" in 2006.

Associate Artistic Director Joseph Walsh and Artistic Director Peter Mark

Joe's visit to Amalfi this year comes on the heels of a recent promotion to another of his jobs at Virginia Opera:  from Assistant Artistic Director to Associate Artistic Director.

"This promotion signifies the continuing expansion of his role in the company's artistic planning process," says Artistic Director Peter Mark. "Having successfully prepared and conducted one mainstage productions in each of the past two seasons, he is scheduled to conduct 'The Elixir of Love' this season and then two productions in each of the following two seasons. We are proud to continue to provide growth, opportunity, and longevity, along with artistic and administrative continuity, to a most gifted and hard working employee of Virginia Opera."

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