An Afternoon of Opera Aeterna

Experience a matinee fundraiser concert featuring international opera stars Andrea Silvestrelli and Viktoria Vizin, joined by other exceptional artists of Opera Aeterna. Enjoy beloved arias and duets in support of our upcoming productions of Puccini’s La Bohème, presented by Opera Aeterna on May 11–16.

Andrea Silvestrelli is an internationally acclaimed basso profondo, celebrated for his powerful portrayals on the world’s leading opera stages. He earned critical acclaim with his Lyric Opera of Chicago debut as Sparafucile in Rigoletto, being praised by the Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Tribune for his “terrifying, sepulchral tone” and “big, black, menacing bass”.

A regular guest at Houston Grand Opera, he has delivered commanding performances in roles such as Klingsor in Parsifal, Fafner and Hagen in Wagner’s Ring Cycle, and Sparafucile in Rigoletto. His career encompasses world-renowned houses, including the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Seattle Opera, the Royal Opera House, and more.

Hungarian mezzo-soprano Viktoria Vizin is a dramatic artist whose dynamic stage presence commands top-tier opera houses such as the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, and Hungarian State Opera.

Her diverse repertoire spans principal and supporting roles—Charlotte (Werther), Composer (Ariadne auf Naxos), Phedre (Hippolyte et Aricie), Carmen (with over 100 performances), and Flosshilde, Waltraute, and Schwertleite in Wagner’s Ring cycle. A reigning expert in concert repertoire, Vizin has graced stages with Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Handel’s Messiah, Verdi galas, and celebrated opera festivals in Europe and North America.

Pianist and music director Irina Feoktistova is an accomplished collaborative artist known for her stylistic sensitivity and deep knowledge of the operatic repertoire. She has worked with distinguished singers and conductors in the United States and abroad, serving as coach, répétiteur, and music director for numerous productions. She has served as accompanist and coach at Lyric Opera of Chicago, Opera Festival Chicago, and Northwestern University, and is affiliated with the Ryan Center, Apollo Chorus, and Chicago Children’s Choir. A champion of contemporary music and cross-disciplinary projects, she leads innovations like “Colors in Music,” combining live performance with visual art.

We look forward to celebrating these extraordinary artists with you at Pianoforte, and thank you for supporting Opera Aeterna!