Panama’s Opera Company Performs in Coronado

Published: 01 June, 2009

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Panama’s Opera Company Performs in Coronado

A small group of opera students from the Panama Opera Foundation gave a heartfelt and intimate performance last Friday, at Coronado’s La Huaca Restaurant to an audience of 65 people who had come out to get a taste of something different. The goal of the foundation is to train and develop world class opera singers in Panama, while raising the awareness and desire for opera within the country. With heavy hitters at the helm of the foundation, the company is off to a running start since its debut in 2008.

The Foundation is run by Irena Sylya, a well connected, internationally acclaimed soprano with experience not only on opera stages around the world, but also a solid background in building businesses. For the past 8 years, Irena has been developing opera singers through an opera workshop in conjunction with the University of Panama. Once students get their degree, Irena works to create venues for students to sing. “There is so much talent here,” says Irena.

Friday’s performance at La Huaca, featured four of Irena’s young protégés. The event was a mix of musical styles from Purcell to Handel to Puccini. Sopranos, Diana Durán and Elisa Troetsch were fabulous singing the ‘Sound of the Trumpet’. Tenor, Juan Pomares, charmed with his version of ‘Bésame Mucho’, and Baritone, Edric Echevers, got loud cheers and applause after his rendition of ‘No Puede Ser’ (it can not be), a Spanish song well performed by Placido Domingo in the Three Tenors concert of 1990.

The performers were accompanied by pianist Sandra Lutters , a Carnegie Hall performer who specializes in working with opera singers. Sandra introduced each piece with a humorous and colorful interpretation that got the crowd involved and helped the audience better understand the story behind the music.

“This is the value of someone like Irena being the Director of this foundation”, says Daryl Ries, Marketing Director for the foundation. Daryl is a former dancer, with extensive experience marketing the arts. “Irena’s friends are world class performers and she invites them to Panama to work with the singers and create a company here”.

Sandra Lutters is one of Irena’s friends. Sandra was so impressed with the people Irena has nurtured that she is thinking of moving to Panama for a longer time in order to work with this group.

“I bring in international stars so that Panamanians get to sing at a different level and can compete at that level. Also this exposure gives the singers connections, so that they know people when we start to go out in the world”, says Irena. “When they [Panamianian opera singers] get to the level where they can walk in and someone goes A-HA! I want this person, then, I will present them to the world. Some of them are extremely close to being there”.

This year the foundation is supporting soprano Diana Duran to compete in the Neue-Stimmen, an international opera competition, that will be held in Germany this coming August. The Opera Foundation is currently developing a total of 14 singers.

And how does Panama’s Opera Company rate right now? “I won’t give my own comment”, says Irena “but I’ll tell you what some of my friends have said”. Irena was talking about Sue Patchell, a 30 year veteran who still performs at the Metropolitan Opera Theatre in New York, and Marcelo Guzzo, a rising opera star in Uruguay. Sue and Marcelo came to Panama to see Madam Butterfly, Opera Panama’s inauguration concert in March of this year. Both said they had never before heard students sing at this level.

The company is currently in rehearsal for Mozart’s The Magic Flute, which will be held at the National Theatre in the old town of Panama City, which is a UNESCO-designated world heritage site. The National Theatre itself is an opera house opened in October of 1908. The show will be held in September of this year and will followed by a Christmas variety program, where we will have the good fortune to hear Irena Sylya perform as well.

To keep in touch with the Panama Opera Foundation and what they are up to, visit their website http://www.operapanama.com

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