About MLO

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Founded in 1998 by Opera Singer and Artistic Director Anne Tormela, The Manhattan Lyric Opera Company (MLO), is uniquely devoted to presenting elegant, concise, user-friendly staged and concert versions of the classic Operas, Operettas and Broadway works.  They specialize in making the heart of this great music accessible to established large facilities as well as to smaller venues which might otherwise never have the resources to offer such artistic works in their entirety or in part.

Employing only top artists, (MLO) performs at: Large Theaters, Corporate Settings, Historic Houses, Museums, Libraries, State Parks, Universities, High Schools, Grade Schools, Synagogues, Churches, Music Festivals, Retirement Homes/Villages,  Private Homes, Resort Hotels, Restaurants, Cruise Ships, and can additionally offer their service as a “Dinner and an Opera ™”  evening. 

Touring often, MLO cuts down almost all of their productions to 90 minutes, adding supertitles and projected sets for a user-friendly and cost-effective approach.   In October of 2008 they toured Iowa where they performed the ever popular operetta  Die Fledermaus.  Reviews from this recent production were “Manhattan Lyric Opera electrifies theatergoers in Elkader…The farcical operetta drew giggles and belly laughs from the crowd but even more genuine rounds of applause in admiration for the the stirring showcase of vocal talent.” Joleen Jansen/ The Clayton County Register. Other tour productions have been The Elixir of Love, Rigoletto, La Traviata, and Lucia di Lammermoor in southeast and southwest Florida.

This past March of 2009 they returned to tour Florida performing Franz Lehar’s  most beloved operetta The Merry Widow. This is a new and abridged production written and directed by Stage Director Marc Verzatt with projected sets and scene explanations by Artistic Director Anne Tormela.  In 2011 they will return to tour Florida with a Romberg/Rodgers/Weber variety act.

In addition to Opera they perform a wide and varied repertoire which includes Broadway, Neapolitan, Lieder, Oratorio, Spirituals and Popular Songs. They can create a program in many languages, such as Italian, German, French, Spanish, Russian and Hebrew and can customize a program to fit the needs and the tastes of any audience.

 

Artistic Director and Founder

A native New Yorker, Ms. Tormela specializes in bel-canto, operatic and early music style.  She has been noted for her “secure technique, unfailing intonation and expression and clear and sensitive text.” (Ulrik Cold, Royal Danish Opera), her “ringing and strongly expressive voice with extraordinary vocal control.” (Leif Kramp,Critic/Lübecker Nachtrichten) and “negotiating the upper reaches (of her voice) with dazzling security” (David Syrus, Head of Music, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden).

This Fall she made her debut performance of the role of Mamette in Maestro Anton Coppola’s world premiere of (La Coupe et les Lèvres) and covered the role of Lucia with Opera Tampa also under the baton of Maestro Coppola.  In August, Ms. Tormela performed the role of Lauretta under the baton of Maestro Anton Coppola at the Altamura Music Festival’s production of (Gianni Schicchi) “Anne Tormela was lovely as Lauretta, singing and acting with the grace and vocal charm of the American Metropolitan soprano Nadine Conner.  And, of course, she sang the aria “O Mio Babbino Caro” perfectly.” ( John Paul Keeler, Hudson-Catskill Newspapers).  She performed the roles of  Frasquita  and Kate Pinkerton with Maestro Coppola in the Metro Lyric Opera’s  July 2008 productions of (Carmen) and (Madama Butterfly). In May of 2007 she debuted with The Natchez Music Festival as Nanetta in their production of (Falstaff) under the baton of Maestro David Blackburn. “Anne Tormela was just about perfect in her beautifully sung “Sul fil d’un soffio” aria of Nanetta.” (John Paul Keeler, Hudson-Catskill Newspapers).    Other roles Ms. Tormela has performed are: Hanna Glawari in (The Merry Widow), Adina in (L’Elisir D’amore), Amalia in Verdi’s (I Masnadieri), The Queen of the night and First Lady, in (The Magic Flute), Zerbinetta in (Ariadne auf Naxos), Rosalinda and Adele in (Die Fledermaus), Ophélie in (Hamlet), Violetta in (La Traviata), Gilda in (Rigoletto), Frasquita in (Carmen), Rosina in (The Barber of Seville), Cherubino and Barbarina in (Le Nozze di Figaro), Sophie in (Werther), Norina in (Don Pasquale), Musetta in (La Bohème).

 In addition to opera, she is an accomplished concert recitalist and has performed all over the world  in Germany, Italy, France, Sweden, Israel and the United States.  She made her debut recital at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall and received a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation to perform a solo recital in their Fall concert series in Bellagio, Italy.   In Germany she made her concert debut at Thronsaal auf Schlo§ in Schwerin; Stidtstheater, Wohnstift Augustinum in Bad Neuenahr, and Kammermusiksaal der Stadthalle Mülheim in Mülheim an der Ruhr. In  2004 and 2005 she was a two time recipient of a full scholarship to perform at the International Vocal Arts Institute in Israel under the auspices of Joan Dornemann.  This December 2009 she has been invited to perform excerpts of Zerbinetta and Sophie  in the Metropolitan Opera  Guild’s “Spinning Strauss” Master Class taught by Metropolitan Opera star Jane Marsh.

She has appeared as a guest soloist with the Lake Placid Sinfonietta Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Mark Laycock and in December of 2008 toured the United States as a soloist with The Sigmund Romberg orchestra’s program “A Viennese Christmas” under the baton of Maestro Jason Altieri. 

In a pioneering effort to introduce classical music to the masses, she has performed in the past on a regular basis with a city sponsored program called Music Under NY in designated permitted spots in the subway.    In addition to opera, Ms. Tormela has a fourth degree black belt in Taekwon Do, is an avid swimmer, practices yoga and plays the clarinet.



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Last modified: 01/29/10