Harlemite Noah Stewart Performs in Award Winning Fashion Designer Bibhu Mohapatra First Opera

In what is almost a rite of passage for brilliant young fashion designers, Bibhu Mohapatra is following in the footsteps of Miuccia Prada, Christian LaCroix, Emanuel Ungaro, Viktor & Rolf and indeed “The Kaiser” – Karl Lagerfeld and has designed costumes for his first opera. Bibhu the darling of the CFDA was tapped by the world renowned opera director Francesca Zambello to create the costumes for the internationally acclaimed Glimmerglass Festival’s production of Verdi’s Aida slated for the Festival’s 2012 Summer Season. Zambello, much in demand world-wide serves as Glimmerglass’ Artistic Director & General Director.

2011 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions Winner Michelle Johnson will sing the title role of the captive princess.   American bass-baritone Eric Owens, who has performed to critical acclaim at Metropolitan, San Francisco and Washington National operas and joins the company as the 2012 Artist in Residence will perform the role of Amonasro in his role debut and heart-throb of the opera world Noah Stewart will perform Radames.

Aida will open and close the season in a new production that emphasizes the personal drama at the heart of Verdi’s masterpiece. This will be the first production of Aida presented at Glimmerglass.

“Aida is often thought of as a grand opera, a spectacle with elephants and pyramids,” Zambello said. “I have always wanted to present Aida in an intimate setting where we can focus on the tensions of politics between Egypt and Ethiopia through the prism of the love triangle.”

aveda Karanas will sing the role of Amneris. Zambello directs and Nader Abbassi, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Cairo Opera Orchestra, will conduct the piece in his company debut.

Bibhu’s namesake label launched with his first collection during New York Fashion Week in February 2009.  The Bibhu Mohapatra collection is currently sold at select boutiques around North America, Europe, Russia, and the Middle East. It is also available at esteemed stores like New York’s Bergdorf Goodman, and Neiman Marcus in various cities in the US.

In January 2010, he was a finalist for Women’s Apparel 2010 Rising Star Award by The Fashion Group International.  In May 27, 2010 Bibhu received the “Young Innovator Award” from the National Arts Club.  In June 2010, Bibhu became a member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America. In January 2011 Bibhu Mohapatra received the Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation award.

The 2012 Glimmerglass Festival mainstage productions include Verdi’s Aida, Willson’s The Music Man, Lully’s Armide and Kurt Weill and Maxwell Anderson’s Lost in the Stars. The productions will run in rotation July 7 through August 25 in the Alice Busch Opera Theater in Cooperstown, New York. The mainstage productions will be supplemented by special performances, concerts and lectures throughout the season.

Aida: July 7, 13, 15, 23, 27, August 4, 9, 11, 14, 17, 25
The Music Man: July 14, 20, 24, 26, 28, 30, August 2, 4, 6, 12, 19, 21, 24
Armide: July 21, 29, 31, August 5, 10, 13, 18, 23
Lost in the Stars: July 22, 28, August 3, 7, 11, 16, 18, 20, 25 

The 2012 Festival will run July 7 through August 27. Subscriptions go on sale July 2, 2011.  For more information on the 2012 Glimmerglass Festival and performance dates and times, call the Box Office at (607) 547-2255 or visit www.glimmerglass.org