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The just announced principal roles include Grammy award winning Soprano Latonia Moore as “Floria Tosca”, Baritone Michael Chioldi as “Baron Scarpia”, and Tenor Won Whi Choi as “Mario Cavaradossi” (see artist bios below).
The production is accompanied by the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus, under the direction of Artpark's Director of Opera and Sonic Explorations and Grammy award winning conductor, Gil Rose and includes exact replicas of designs made for the original production of TOSCA that premiered in Rome in 1900. In 2016, New York City Opera (NYCO) obtained from Casa Ricordi the exclusive North American rights to re-create Adolf Hohenstein's set and costume designs made for the original production of TOSCA, which NYCO has provided to Artpark for this celebration.
Latonia Moore as “Floria Tosca” is a three-time Grammy Award-winning American soprano praised as “richly talented” by The New York Times. A frequent performer with the Metropolitan Opera Latonia Moore appeared on the Met stage as Billie in Terence Blanchard and Kasi Lemmons’s FIRE SHUT UP IN MY BONES under Yannick Nézet-Séguin and as Serena in Gershwin’s PORGY AND BESS under David Robertson. Other recent season highlights include TOSCA in her Austin Opera debut and with Opéra de Rouen Normandie Théâtre des Arts; a special outdoor community concert in Serenbe, Georgia, with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and an appearance as a featured soloist in the Metropolitan Opera’s memorial service for Jessye Norman. Moore is acclaimed globally for her interpretation of Verdi’s AIDA, which she has sung with the Metropolitan Opera, Royal Opera–Covent Garden, Opernhaus Zürich, Opera Australia, Teatro Colón, English National Opera, New National Theatre Tokyo, Dubai Opera, Dallas Opera, and many others. Her Puccini roles have included Cio-Cio-San in MADAMA BUTTERFLY at the Metropolitan Opera, Hamburg State Opera, and Semperoper Dresden, Liù in TURANDOT at Royal Opera–Covent Garden and Bilbao, Mimì in LA BOHÈME with Semperoper Dresden, and Tosca with Opera Australia and Washington National Opera. She sang Elisabeth in Verdi’s Don Carlo with Opera Australia, Micaëla in Bizet’s Carmen and Elvira in Verdi’s Ernani and Lucrezia in his I due Foscari in Bilbao, Desdemona in Verdi’s Otello at Bergen National Opera, and Serena in Porgy and Bess at both English National Opera and De Nationale Opera Amsterdam. Honors and awards include the Maria Callas Award from Dallas Opera, a Richard Tucker Foundation grant, first prize in the Marseilles Competition, and first prize in the International Competition dell’Opera in Dresden. Ms. Moore is a native of Houston, Texas.
Michael Chioldi as “Baron Scarpia”
American baritone Michael Chioldi has received acclaim from critics and audiences for his portrayals of the dramatic baritone roles of Verdi, Puccini, and Strauss. His many roles include the title roles in RIGOLETTO, MACBETH, and more; Rodrigo in DON CARLO, Conte di Luna in IL TROVATORE, Germont in LA TRAVIATA, Gerard in ANDREA CHENIER, Scarpia in TOSCA, and Sharpless in MADAMA BUTTERFLY. He made his debut at New York's Metropolitan Opera as Fléville in ANDREA CHÉNIER with Luciano Pavarotti and Aprile Millo under the baton of James Levine. He has performed at nearly every major American opera house, and his performances of Sharpless in the New York City Opera’s production of MADAMA BUTTERFLY was broadcast on the PBS television series Live from Lincoln Center. Internationally he has performed at the Gran Teatre de Liceu in Barcelona, Opera de Oviedo in Spain, and the Royal Opera House, Muscat. Mr. Chioldi has performed with symphony orchestras around North America and Europe and has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including The Metropolitan Opera National Council Competition (Winner 1995); The MacAllister Competition; The Licia Albanese-Puccini Competition; The Miami Opera Competition; The Sullivan Foundation; and The Anna Case-Mckay Award. His recordings appear on the Sony Classical, BMG, Accord and Newport Classics labels. Mr. Chioldi makes his home in New York City.
Won Whi Choi as “Mario Cavaradossi”
Tenor Won Whi Choi has thrilled audiences worldwide with his lustrous and ringing voice, elegant musicianship, and sensitive artistry. In 2020, he made his Metropolitan Opera début as Alfredo in LA TRAVIATA to rave reviews. More recently, he joined the Metropolitan Opera again for both RIGOLETTO and FEDORA, as well as the Seoul Metropolitan Opera’s ROMÉO AND JULIETTE as Roméo, Virginia Opera as Alfredo in LA TRAVIATA, and New York City Opera as Giorgio in THE GARDEN OF THE FINZI-CONTINIS. He also sang the Duke in RIGOLETTO in his house début with Atlanta Opera, reprised his Arcadio in FLORENCIA EN EL AMAZONAS with Nashville Opera, and returned to Minnesota Opera as Rodolfo in LA BOHÈME. In his first New York City performance, Choi was praised for his portrayal of Rodolfo in LA BOHÈME and his “big, virile sound that rocketed fearlessly up to a high C, so secure he dared to run across the stage while holding the note,” by The New York Observer. Mr. Choi is emerging as a concert artist to watch after his performance of Händel’s Messiah with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. Recently, he also sang in an opera gala at Shanghai Symphony Orchestra Hall in Shanghai, China, to great critical acclaim. Mr. Choi was one of eight finalists at the Montreal International Musical Competition in 2012. He holds a Professional Studies Diploma and a Master of Music Degree from Mannes College of Music and a Bachelor of Music degree from the Korean National University of the Arts.
Gil Rose, Conductor
Often referred to as “a musician helping to shape the future of classical music”, Gil Rose is acknowledged for his “sense of style and sophistication” by Opera News, noted as “an amazingly versatile conductor” by The Boston Globe, and praised for conducting with “admiral command” by The New York Times and has been called “one of the most adventurous conductors in the world” by KUSC Radio. Over the past two decades he has built a reputation as one of the country’s most inventive and versatile conductors. His dynamic performances on both the symphonic and operatic stages as well as over 100 recordings have garnered international critical praise. Nominated 6 times, Gil Rose won the Grammy Award for Opera Recording in 2020 for “Fantastic Mr. Fox.” Mr. Rose conducted Artpark’s production of “Carmina Burana” in the 2023 season.
Michael Capasso, Stage Director
Michael is the General Director of the New York City Opera. He has produced, directed, and toured opera and musical theater productions in the U.S. and abroad for over 40 years. In June of 2014, along with philanthropist Roy Niederhoffer, he led the successful effort to bring the New York City Opera out of bankruptcy, laying the artistic, administrative, and fiscal groundwork for the company’s future. The revitalized New York City Opera returned to the stage in January 2016 with a celebratory production of TOSCA. The company is once again on solid financial footing and producing full seasons of opera, concerts, and educational programming, with a special concentration on City Opera’s long legacy of producing new and innovative opera, refocused through a modern lens. Current company programming efforts, which have included seven New York, U.S., and world premieres since 2017, seek to reflect the diverse tapestry of New York City through ongoing initiatives: Ópera en Español, LGBTQ+ Pride Series, an ongoing partnership with the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene, and a celebration of Black excellence.
John Farrell, Associate Set Designer
John is currently the Director of Production for New York City Opera. Since starting this position in 2015, he has been responsible for all aspects of the physical production of the company, and he has served as the resident Scenic Designer. During this time, he has designed more than 10 productions for the company. Also in New York, John was the Resident Designer for Dicapo Opera where he created over ninety productions from 1992-2013. At Radio City Music Hall, he was the Scenic Supervisor for the Spring Spectacular Easter show for two years and the Christmas Spectacular show for one. He served as Scenic Supervisor for Radio City Christmas Spectacular shows in Chicago and Detroit and more.
Ildikó Debreczeni, Associate Costume Designer
Ildikó has been designing costumes for theater, dance, and film for more than 30 years. In 1995, she established Jelmez-Art Ltd. in her hometown of Szolnok, Hungary, where she produced costumes for local theaters. In 2007, through an association with the Armel Opera Festival, based in Budapest, Jelmez-Art began constructing costumes for international theaters and opera companies, a list which has grown to include the Bayreuth Festival, Bergen Festival, Graz Opera in Austria, Bergen National Opera, and opera companies in Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, and the United States.
Susan Roth, Lighting Designer
Susan has designed lighting for theater, opera and dance in the US and abroad. International opera credits include Tobias Picker's Emmeline and Robert Ward's The Crucible, which were televised throughout Europe on Mezzo TV as part of the Armel Opera Festival. She has designed for a number of opera companies in the U.S. including Tampa Opera, Augusta Opera, Orlando Opera, and Toledo Opera and was resident designer for Dicapo Opera. Ms. Roth served as the lighting designer for the 75th Anniversary tour of the Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess. Other U.S. national theater tour credits include Dreamgirls, Cabaret, Purlie, Little Shop of Horrors, and One Mo Time. International tours include Ain’t Misbehavin', West Side Story, and Crazy for You. Ms. Roth was resident designer for the Westport Playhouse for ten years and designed the U.S. premiere of Public Enemy, a play by Kenneth Branagh; and the world premiere of Feau Follet for the Elisa Monte Dance Company.
